Post Pandemic Trust in Authorities

Abstract

The world has experienced a severe outbreak that affected millions for more than two years. Managing this outbreak is a very important task for governments. Several measures such as lockdown, mandatory face masks, travel restrictions, online education, and vaccination have been taken to prevent the spread of this serious disease. In this process, trust in authorities or governments is likely to be a key instrument to succeed combating against coronavirus. This paper investigates determinants of trust in local authorities and government on managing pandemic in the case of Malaysia using High-Frequency Monitoring of COVID-19 Impacts in Malaysia (2021-Round 1 and Round 2) that is provided by the World Bank. Findings showed that vaccination status as a key parameter is a significant indicator to explain trust in authorities, along with a few other variables that would help to understand how trust, in this respect, is shaped.