Trust, Crisis, and Delegation : A Comparative Analysis of Public Health Authorities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In times of crisis, maintaining citizens' trust in government is crucial for policy legitimacy. Yet, research on how institutional design shapes trust under crisis conditions remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining how the delegation of authority and the degree of institutional independence of public health agencies relate to citizens' trust in government across 28 European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using country-level panel data, the analysis shows that trust tends to be higher in contexts where delegated agencies enjoy substantial independence from ministerial control. Moreover, governments with either strong ministries or fully independent agencies display higher average trust levels than those with intermediate or overlapping institutional arrangements. These findings highlight an independence–legitimacy nexus, suggesting that clear authority, political insulation, and policy stability are key to sustaining public trust during crises.