Public Trust in Government Administrators Explaining Citizen Perceptions of Trustworthiness and Competence

How much trust do citizens have in government administrators, and what explains the variation in their attitudes? As measured by responses in the General Social Survey, it is found that attitudes about the trustworthiness of administrators are more positive than what might be generally thought, and that substantial variation characterizes all trusting attitudes. Perceptions of trustworthiness are influenced by sociodemographic background and interpersonal trust, whereas competence is influenced by political party affiliation. External political efficacy and general assessments of government are significant correlates of both. Thus, perceptions of competence correlate with whether government is doing what citizens want, while perceptions of trustworthiness are influenced by experiences with bureaucrats. Efforts to reform the public bureaucracy with an eye toward increasing trust require strategies to increase the competence and trustworthiness of the public service.