Trust and local government: a positive relationship?

Stoker, Gerry, Bunting, Hannah and Mckay, Lawrence (2023) Trust and local government: a positive relationship? In, Teles, Filipe (ed.) Handbook on Local and Regional Governance. (Elgar Handbooks in Public Administration and Management) Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 49-61. (doi:10.4337/9781800371200.00013).

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

If local governments are trusted more than higher levels of government, it would seem to add to the case for promoting local autonomy. Do people in trust local government more than higher levels of government? This chapter offers the first comprehensive answer to this question by analysing representative and reliable public opinion surveys conducted around the world. It emerges that local government is more trusted in Western Europe and north America but not in all parts of the world. Broadly our evidence supports the argument that greater trust in local government supports the case for local autonomy but there is a need for more analysis before the case is complete. We remain in need of greater clarity about what are the positive drivers of trust in local government and or whether any greater occurrence of trust observed is more a reflection of lack of trust in higher levels of government.

This record has no associated files available for download.