“…Political trust, also known as trust in government, reflects citizens’ reliance on or confidence in their political leadership, institutions, and legitimacy ( Newton, 2001 ; Fan, 2019 ). Thus, it is particularly important in times of crisis and societal change ( Armingeon and Guthmann, 2014 ; Arpino and Obydenkova, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2022 ), as it enhances public compliance with the laws and reduces the risk of dissention ( Levi and Stoker, 2000 ; Lalot et al, 2022 ) while facilitating implementation of public policies ( Francis, 2016 ; Xiong, 2016 ). Given the critical role of political trust in sustaining democracy, it is typically associated with its legitimacy ( Easton, 1975 ).…”