WHAT QUALITIES OF PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS MATTER MOST FOR GENERALIZED TRUST? – AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study identifies a research gap in the literature surrounding the quality of public organizations and generalized trust. It finds that the existing literature focuses heavily on the importance of corruption in this context. Other, non-corruption, aspects of quality of public organizations are found to be empirically understudied despite there being an established theoretical connection between these and generalized trust. This paper uses ordinary least squares regression to compare the impact of corruption, impartiality and a broad measure of bureaucratic quality on generalized trust cross-nationally. The findings provide support for the propositions on the link between corruption and trust and between broad bureaucratic quality and trust, but do not lend support for the argument that impartiality is related to generalized trust. The research deepens the knowledge of how public institutions relate to generalized trust and identifies new areas to be researched.