Trust, but verify? Understanding citizen attitudes toward evidence‐informed policy making
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| Author | Pirmin Bundi,Valérie Pattyn |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12852 |
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Trust, but verify? Understanding citizen attitudes
toward evidence-informed policy making
Pirmin Bundi
1
|Valérie Pattyn
2
1
Institute of Public Administration, University
of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
2
Institute of Public Administration, Leiden
University, The Hague, Netherlands
Correspondence
Pirmin Bundi, Institute of Public
Administration, University of Lausanne, Rue
de la Mouline 28, Lausanne CH-1015,
Switzerland.
Email: pirmin.bundi@unil.ch
Abstract
In this article, we inquire to what extent different manifesta-
tions of trust are associated with public support for evidence
informed policy making (EIPM). We present the results of a
cross-sectional survey conducted in the peak of the second
COVID-19 wave in six Western democracies: Australia,
Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland, and the United States
(N=8749). Our findings show that public trust in scientific
experts is generally related to positive attitudes toward
evidence-informed policy making, while the opposite is the
case for trust in governments and fellow citizens. Interest-
ingly, citizens' assessment of government responses to
COVID-19 moderates the relationship between trust and
attitudes toward EIPM. Respondents who do rathernot trust
their governments or their fellow citizens are more in favor
of EIPM if they evaluate government responses negatively.
These findings suggest that attitudes toward EIPM are not
only related to trust, but also strongly depend on perceived
government performance.
Abstract
Dans cet article, nous examinons dans quelle mesure
différentes marques de confiance sont associées au soutien
du public à l'élaboration de politiques fondées sur des
preuves (EIPM). Nous présentons les résultats d'une
A previous version of this article was presented at the 5th ICPP (Barcelona, Spain, July 5–9).
Received: 15 July 2021Revised: 16 March 2022Accepted: 13 April 2022
DOI: 10.1111/padm.12852
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which
permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no
modifications or adaptations are made.
© 2022 The Authors. Public Administration published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Public Admin. 2023;101:1227–1246. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/padm 1227
enquête transversale menée au plus fort dela deuxième
vague COVID-19 dans six démocraties occidentales: Aus-
tralie, Belgique, Canada, France, Suisse et
Etats-Unis
(N=8749). Nos résultatsmontrent que la confiance du pub-
lic dans les experts scientifiques est généralement liée à des
attitudes positives envers l'élaboration de politiques fondées
sur des preuves, alors que le contraire est constaté pourla
confiance dans les gouvernements et les concitoyens. Il est
intéressant de noter que l'évaluation par les citoyens des
réactions du gouvernement au COVID-19 modère la relation
entre la confiance et les attitudes envers l'EIPM. Les
personnes interrogées ne faisant plutôt pas confiance à leur
gouvernement ou à leurs concitoyens sont plus favorables à
la politique fondée sur des preuves lorsqu'elles évaluent
négativement les réactions du gouvernement. Ces résultats
suggèrent non seulement que les attitudes envers l'EIPM ne
sont pas seulementliées à la confiance, mais dépendent aussi
fortement de la performance perçue du gouvernement.
Abstract
In dit artikel gaan we na in hoeverre verschillende vormen
van vertrouwen samenhangen met publieke steun voor
empirisch onderbouwd beleid (evidence informed policy
making'', EIPM). We presenteren de resultaten van een
cross-sectionele bevraging uitgevoerd op het hoogtepunt
van de tweede COVID-19 golf in zes Westerse landen: Aus-
tralië, België, Canada, Frankrijk, Zwitserland en de Ver-
enigde Staten (N=8749). Uit onze bevindingen blijkt dat
het publieke vertrouwen in wetenschappelijke experts over
het algemeen samenhangt met een positieve houding ten
aanzien van EIPM, terwijl het omgekeerde het geval is voor
het vertrouwen in regeringen en medeburgers. Het oordeel
van burgers over de COVID-19 aanpak van overheden
matigt evenwel de relatie tussen vertrouwen en attitudes
ten aanzien van EIPM: respondenten die hun regering of
hun medeburgers minder vertrouwen zijn meer voorstander
van EIPM indien zij het optreden van hun overheid
t.a.v. COVID-19 als negatief beoordelen. Deze bevindingen
geven aan dat attitudes ten aanzien van EIPM niet alleen
samenhangen met vertrouwen, maar ook sterk afhangen
van waargenomen overheidsprestaties.
1228 BUNDI AND PATTYN
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