Epistemological Framework for Public Trust in Public Sector Institutions Research

Abstract

The article considers the place and role of public trust in the functioning of public sector institutions. Trust in government is a multi-conceptual category, which is based on a combination of economic, social, and political interactions between government authorities at different levels and citizens. The authors of the article propose to conduct an epistemological study of trust in government at three main (micro-, meso-, macro-) and intermediate levels. At the micro-level, it is proposed to determine trust based on the results of economic agents' cooperation with public authorities through the provision of public services. At the meso level, trust in the government is defined by the competence of central government agencies that formulate and implement public policy in the relevant field, to solve economic and social problems of society, as well as their ability to generate positive expectations for citizens future well-being. At the macro level, trust in the government is derived from the economic efficiency of the "whole government." The authors propose to consider the intermediate level as trust in local governments, which is determined by both the quality of public services and the efficiency of public administration. It was shown that trust in the institutions of the public sector of the economy could not be formed separately from the personal characteristics of its Chairman or head. In the historical context of the development of Ukraine's statehood, systematic events related to corruption in the management of the public institution that receives wide media coverage have led to systemic distrust of economic actors towards public sector institutions and the state as a whole. The authors found that certain levels of trust in government interact, and therefore, the erosion of trust at one level can affect trust at others, which, accordingly, leads to a deterioration in the results of public policy in general. Strengthening trust at one level due to the synergetic effect will help strengthen trust in government in general. The article also shows that trust in government institutions and the government in general reduces the risk of opportunistic behavior and, consequently, can push society to give preference to long-term results of public policy over short-term benefits.