Trust in local authorities and compliance with authorities’ advice among Finns during Covid-19
Declunder, Anne (2024)
2024
Master's Programme in Public and Global Health
Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2024-10-29
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202410109225
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202410109225
Tiivistelmä
Authorities were required to take swift actions to protect populations during the Covid-19 pandemic. The accumulating knowledge of the virus resulted in frequent adjustments of policies and recommendations. Confidence in institutions and decision-makers is critical in ensuring that people follow the guidelines, and authorities’ communication towards the public is an essential part of it. Existing research suggests there are differences in trust and obedience depending on, for example, people’s backgrounds and political affiliation. Although the levels of institutional trust were generally high in Finland during the pandemic, fewer studies have been conducted on people’s views of local government. Less is also known about how Finns’ voting intention or perceptions of authorities’ communication affected the levels of trust in local authorities and compliance with recommendations in the pandemic.
To bridge this knowledge gap, this thesis positions itself at the junction of institutional trust at the local level, compliance with authorities’ advice, perceptions of authorities’ communication, and voting intention.
This study uses cross-sectional data from six consumer panel surveys collected between 2020 and 2022. The data are part of a research project within the MEX consortium. A total of 6 575 Finnish adults participated in the electronic surveys. The data were analysed using quantitative methods such as crosstabulations and binary logistic regression.
The levels of trust in local authorities and adherence to authorities’ advice remained steady in the pandemic. Roughly half of the respondents trusted the local authorities and nine out of ten intended to follow official advice. The vast majority was also satisfied with authorities’ communication. However, six in ten were confused by the inconsistencies at the same time. Education was associated with higher levels of trust and compliance. Non-voters and supporters of the Finns Party exhibited less trust compared to other groups. Additionally, Finns Party supporters were less likely to comply with authorities’ advice. Positive perceptions of authorities’ communication increased trust and compliance levels significantly.
The findings indicate that both trust in local authorities and compliance with pandemic restrictions are strongly impacted by how people perceive authorities’ communication and how they plan on voting. More attention needs to be paid to establishing good relationships with citizens and focusing on open communication. Additionally, it is vital to increase understanding of why right-wing political affiliation impacts trust and compliance negatively. We need to learn more about these trends to ensure an effective management of future health crises and to safeguard overall harmony in our societies.
To bridge this knowledge gap, this thesis positions itself at the junction of institutional trust at the local level, compliance with authorities’ advice, perceptions of authorities’ communication, and voting intention.
This study uses cross-sectional data from six consumer panel surveys collected between 2020 and 2022. The data are part of a research project within the MEX consortium. A total of 6 575 Finnish adults participated in the electronic surveys. The data were analysed using quantitative methods such as crosstabulations and binary logistic regression.
The levels of trust in local authorities and adherence to authorities’ advice remained steady in the pandemic. Roughly half of the respondents trusted the local authorities and nine out of ten intended to follow official advice. The vast majority was also satisfied with authorities’ communication. However, six in ten were confused by the inconsistencies at the same time. Education was associated with higher levels of trust and compliance. Non-voters and supporters of the Finns Party exhibited less trust compared to other groups. Additionally, Finns Party supporters were less likely to comply with authorities’ advice. Positive perceptions of authorities’ communication increased trust and compliance levels significantly.
The findings indicate that both trust in local authorities and compliance with pandemic restrictions are strongly impacted by how people perceive authorities’ communication and how they plan on voting. More attention needs to be paid to establishing good relationships with citizens and focusing on open communication. Additionally, it is vital to increase understanding of why right-wing political affiliation impacts trust and compliance negatively. We need to learn more about these trends to ensure an effective management of future health crises and to safeguard overall harmony in our societies.