Do government actions affect social trust? Cross-city evidence in China

This paper examines the impact of government actions on social trust after controlling for individual and community characteristics. Using unique individual level data drawn from the provincial capital cities across China, we find that trust in other people is strongly correlated with government actions. Positive actions by the government that facilitate information flow, including active communication and information transparency, significantly increase trust. Negative actions by the government, including corruption, violent law enforcement, and abuse of privilege, significantly reduce trust. These actions affect people's trust in the government in similar ways that they affect trust in other people. We also find that most individual characteristics are not strongly related to trust in others, while being a member of the Communist party increases the likelihood of trust.

► Trust in others in China is strongly correlated with government actions.
► Positive actions include active communication and information transparency.
► Negative actions include corruption and violent law enforcement.
► Most individual characteristics are not strongly related to trust in others.