TRUST IN PUBLIC AUTHORITY AND THE FACTORS THAT CAUSE IT IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS Cover Image

ДОВІРА ДО ПУБЛІЧНОЇ ВЛАДИ ТА ЧИННИКИ, ЩО ЇЇ ЗУМОВЛЮЮТЬ У НАДЗВИЧАЙНИХ СИТУАЦІЯХ
TRUST IN PUBLIC AUTHORITY AND THE FACTORS THAT CAUSE IT IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Author(s): Olena Volodymirivna Volianska
Subject(s): Governance, Developing nations, Political behavior, Political economy, Politics and communication, Politics and society
Published by: Національний юридичний університет імені Ярослава Мудрого
Keywords: trust in power; power efficiency; quarantine; epidemic risks;

Summary/Abstract: Problem setting. The interdependence of quarantine facilities and the economic crisis makes the coronavirus epidemic an extraordinary social experiment, not only political and economic but mainly sociocultural value transformations are manifested. There is no doubt that restriction of movement, stopping of business activity and control over citizens is perceived differently by the population of different countries and depends on whether people trust the information being provided or their basic needs met. If all these components are not satisfied, the population ignores the restrictions, does not accept the instructions, increases social conflicts, increases the cost of necessities, rumors, looting, corruption and more.Recent research and publications analysis. The issue of trust in power is quite popular among scholars. The problem of trust in power at different times was the object of research of a galaxy of famous foreign scientists, including R. Aron, M. Weber, D. Gibson, R. Dahl, D. Easton, H. Lasswell, S. Lipset, V. Mishler, R. Putnam, B. Russell, F. Fukuyama and others. Recently, the problem of citizens ’ trust in power was addressed by domestic researchers V. Akhkasov, S. Beloshitsky, E. Golovakha, M. Golovin, S. Yeliseyev,D. Dzvinchuk, V. Ignatov, Y. Kovbasyuk, A. Kovaleva, V. Kremen, O. Kruty, S. Lantsova, V. Ledyayev, V. Maltsev, I. Martyniuk, S. Naumov, V Nechiporenko, N. Panina, O. Radchenko, V. Sychev, V. Khalipov, A. Khokhlov, etc., which considered issues of trust in the government in the context of its legitimacy, the development of the institute for democracy and social protection, the emergence of civil society.Paper objective. The purpose of this article is to identify the components of trust in public authority as factors that ensure social stability during disasters.Paper main body. The main components of trust in public authority in the face of a threat or crisis, based on the rational and emotional interaction of the subject and the subject of power relations and cooperation within formal and informal civil society institutions. We have included the following components: provision of urgent needs (meeting the need for security), responsibility for risky decisions, situation control, transparency of information, providing guarantees for future development.Provision of urgent needs. It should be noted that trust in government provides the population with a basic level of security or social guarantees. This need is especially exacerbated during disasters. Yes, most governments in the world have allocated considerable sums from their budgets to provide their citizens with special conditions for quarantine.Liability for risk in situations of uncertainty. Because trust refers to the future actions of others, it hides the uncertainty and risk that are its characteristic features.Ability to control the actions of a trusted entity. In close connection with risk perception, one of the signs of trust is the aspect of objective loss of control.Providing up-to-date truthful information. The problem is that the excess of information (the phenomenon of information wealth) has generated such a phenomenon as information noise - a chaotic mixture of true and false information from so-called fake sources and the consumer ceases to filter information, as a result why the population loses the ability to accurately understand the current socio-political and economic processes, adequately respond to them, and make the right decisions.Conclusions of the research. Trust in authorities in periods of uncertainty is associated with the expectation of fateful decisions. At the same time, the effectiveness of actions, which include minimizing the effects of the viral epidemic and the economic crisis, creating conditions for transparency and openness of the functioning of public authorities, enabling citizens not to lose business activity, prevent criminalization, fight against corruption, support the protection of the vulnerable, protect the vulnerable employees involved in work in risk situations (doctors, police, etc.) will increase the level of trust in political institutions as subjects of implementation her public interest.