Perceived Trust in Public Authorities Nine Months after the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-National Study

Daicia Price, Tore Bonsaksen, Mary Ruffolo, Janni Leung, Vivian Chiu, Hilde Thygesen, Mariyana Schoultz and Amy Ostertun Geirdal
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Daicia Price: School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Tore Bonsaksen: Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Elverum, 2318 Hamar, Norway
Mary Ruffolo: School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Janni Leung: Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Vivian Chiu: Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Hilde Thygesen: Faculty of Health Studies, VID Specialized University, Sandnes, 4024 Stavanger, Norway
Mariyana Schoultz: Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8SU, UK
Amy Ostertun Geirdal: Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: This study aimed to examine the perceived trust in information provided by public authorities and financial measures put in place to address the impact of COVID-19. Using a cross-national approach among four Western countries—the United States of America, Norway, Australia, and the United Kingdom—provides an analysis of responses related to trust and how they were associated with age group, gender, education level, employment status, size of place of residence, infection status, and social media use. When controlling for all included variables in logistic regression analyses, the likelihood of having trust in the public authorities’ information was higher for women, those with higher levels of education, and those living in urban areas. Being infected with the coronavirus, and spending more time daily on social media, were both associated with lower likelihood of reporting trust in information. Although policies implemented to respond to economic concerns varied cross-nationally, higher age, identifying as female, being employed, living in a city, no COVID-19 infection experience and lower levels of social media usage were associated with a higher likelihood of trusting in the financial measures put in place to counteract the economic effects of COVID-19.

Keywords: coronavirus; cross-national study; pandemic; public authorities; social media; trust (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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