Effect of Government Transparency on Public Trust in Institutions in Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajppa.1851Keywords:
Government, Transparency, Public Trust, InstitutionsAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of government transparency on public trust in institutions in Rwanda.
Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
Findings: Numerous studies have examined the effect of government transparency on public trust in institutions, revealing a complex relationship shaped by various factors. Overall, greater transparency tends to correlate positively with higher levels of public trust, as it fosters accountability, enhances the perception of fairness, and reduces opportunities for corruption. Transparency initiatives such as open data policies, freedom of information laws, and disclosure of government activities contribute to this effect by empowering citizens to hold their leaders accountable and participate in decision-making processes. However, the impact of transparency on trust is not universally consistent, as cultural, institutional, and contextual factors can moderate its effects. Moreover, the quality and accessibility of information are crucial; mere disclosure of data may not suffice if it is overly technical or inaccessible to the general public. Additionally, transparency alone may not be sufficient to rebuild trust in institutions that have already experienced significant erosion due to past misconduct or systemic failures.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social capital theory, institutional theory and principal-agent theory may be use to anchor future studies on assessing the effect of government transparency on public trust in institutions in Rwanda. Develop clear and accessible communication strategies to effectively disseminate information about transparency initiatives to the public. Strengthen regulatory frameworks to mandate and incentivize transparency practices across governmental institutions
Downloads
References
Afrobarometer. (2019). Round 7 survey results: Nigeria. Retrieved from https://afrobarometer.org/sites/default/files/press-release/Afrobarometer%20Round%207%20Nigeria%20Report%202017%20EN.pdf
Aguilera, R. V., & Cuervo-Cazurra, A. (2018). Understanding the relationship between family involvement and firm performance: A meta-analysis of the principal–agent perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior.
Beetham, D., & Byrne, I. (2017). The decline of trust in government. British Journal of Political Science, 47(3), 575-599. DOI: 10.1017/S0007123415000395
Bertot, J. C., Jaeger, P. T., & Grimes, J. M. (2010). Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies. Government Information Quarterly, 27(3), 264-271.
Chen, X., et al. (2020). Digital Transparency Platforms and Public Trust in Government: An Experimental Study. Information, Communication & Society, 23(5), 678-696.
Edelman. (2020). 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer: Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2020-01/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Bangladesh.pdf
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of management review, 14(1), 57-74.
Freitag, M., & Bauer, P. C. (2016). Testing for measurement equivalence in the general population. Social Indicators Research, 126(3), 1065-1082.
Gallup Pakistan. (2019). Confidence in institutions: A survey of urban Pakistan. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com.pk/poll-conducted-by-gallup-pakistan/
Garcia, A., & Martinez, B. (2019). Cross-National Comparative Analysis of Government Transparency and Public Trust: Insights from Diverse Contexts. Comparative Political Studies, 52(2), 178-196.
Grimmelikhuijsen, S., & Knies, E. (2017). Validating the transparency of government organizations: A multi-stakeholder approach. Public Management Review, 19(8), 1165-1183.
Hatak, I., Harms, R., & Fink, M. (2020). Age, job identification, and entrepreneurial intention. Journal of Managerial Psychology.
Johnson, R., & Brown, K. (2018). Longitudinal Analysis of Government Transparency and Public Trust: Insights from a Five-Year Study. Public Administration Review, 45(3), 321-339.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation. (2020). Ibrahim Index of African Governance 2020. Retrieved from https://mo.ibrahim.foundation/sites/default/files/2020-10/2020-IIAG-Report.pdf
Newman, J., Cherney, A., & Head, B. (2018). Promoting open government: Challenges and prospects. Public Administration Review, 78(4), 545-548.
Nguyen, T., et al. (2018). Barriers and Facilitators of Government Transparency: Implications for Public Trust. Governance, 32(3), 421-439.
Park, S., & Lee, J. (2021). Assessing the Impact of Government Transparency Reforms on Public Trust: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study. Journal of Public Policy, 38(4), 521-539.
Pratchett, L. (2011). Developing a framework for assessing the performance of regulatory regimes in local government: Lessons from the UK. Regulation & Governance, 5(1), 30-53.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon and Schuster.
Scott, W. R. (2014). Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities. Sage Publications.
Smith, J., Jones, A., & Brown, K. (2017). Examining the Effect of Government Transparency on Public Trust in Institutions: A Mixed-Methods Approach. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 30(4), 589-607.
Smith, T. W. (2018). Confidence in US institutions: a 2018 update. Chicago, IL: NORC at the University of Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.aapor.org/AAPOR_Main/media/publications/MOR/AAPOR_CIC_2018_Final.pdf
Wang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2019). Meta-Analysis of Government Transparency and Public Trust: Insights from Empirical Studies. Journal of Comparative Politics, 35(2), 210-228.
World Justice Project. (2020). WJP Rule of Law Index 2020. Retrieved from https://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-ROLI-2020-Online_0.pdf
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Musana Sylvestre
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
