Impact of Institutional Performance and Integrity on Public Trust during COVID-19: A Retrospective Examination in the Arabic Context

Parliamentary questions, institutional change, and legislative oversight in a non‐Western context

“…Despite differences in analytical approaches, researchers in the field tend to make two overarching arguments: (a) institutions are not stable and (b) institutions change in different ways, such that the change is dependent on other contextual factors. These arguments recognize the living nature of institutions (Walsh et al, 2006) and the interdependence between them and their surroundings (Yaghi & Antwi-Boateng, 2017;Yaghi & Yaghi, 2023). While theoretically addressing these discussions is beyond the scope of the current study, acknowledging that the evolution of political institutions (including parliaments) is a gradual process incorporating a series of changes occurring over long periods of time is essential (Montambeault, 2019;Yaghi et al, 2007).…”

“…The UAE is a constitutional federation of seven emirates, each governed by a hereditary monarch from one of the ruling families (Ulrichsen, 2016;Yaghi & Yaghi, 2023). The federation was established in 1971 under the leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's founding father.…”

“…In addition, the nature of the political culture in the UAE, people's perceptions of the government, and the stage of development in which the FNC is going, all make PQs more suitable and effective than other tools. For example, the UAE's traditional and tribal culture does not welcome protests and petitions as these are perceived unacceptable to the ordinary citizen who trusts the government to do good (Yaghi, 2023a;Yaghi & Yaghi, 2023). Elections can be an effective tool when the society has accumulated long experience in election and voting, which is not the case of the nature of the FNC and its election as well as the monarchy system of government.…”