Paths to trust: Explaining citizens' trust to experts and evidence-informed policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Angelou, Angelos; Ladi, Stella; Panagiotatou, Dimitra; Tsagkroni, Vasiliki
• 署名单位: University of London; London School Economics & Political Science; University of London; Queen Mary University London; Leiden University; Leiden University - Excl LUMC
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/padm.12962
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 1008-1025
• 关键词: political trust

摘要

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forward new questions about the efficient implementation of arduous public policies. Drawing evidence from the pandemic, this article argues that, during crises, policymakers will often opt for evidence-informed policymaking, hoping for better results. In line with previous studies, we show that citizens trust more policies coming from experts rather than policymakers and elected politicians. We also add nuance to these claims as we attribute this tendency to the technocratic legitimacy thesis, referring to the symbolic significance of expert authority. Employing a public opinion survey conducted across four European countries, Germany, Greece, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, we show that independently of prior levels of political trust and each country's mortality rate, citizens welcomed evidence-informed policies during the pandemic's first wave. Politicians can leverage these insights to increase public compliance with crisis management policies.