Abstract
In this article we inquire to what extent different manifestations 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 = 8’749). Our findings show that public trust in scientific experts is generally related to positive attitudes towards evidence-informed policy making, while the opposite is the case for trust in governments and fellow citizens. Interestingly, citizens’ assessment of government responses to COVID-19 moderates the relationship between trust and attitudes towards EIPM. Respondents who do rather not trust their governments or their fellow citizens are more in favor of EIPM if they evaluate government responses negatively. These findings suggest that attitudes towards EIPM are not only related to trust, but also strongly depend on perceived government performance.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.