Trust in public services in on the decline

2/8/2024

Trust in public services is on the decline.

This particular measure calls attention to a measure of ‘trust’ as the state is not doing harm.

In addition, confidence in public services – due to an actual experience – is flatlining.

A follower on blue-sky asked me why I didn’t comment on the private sector comparator.

My answer to them was in two parts.

First, the public and private sectors are alike except in the most essential respects. Unlike in the private sector, we have little, if any, choice in dealing with officials and agencies—good or bad. They are monopolies.

Second, I am not confident that “experiences” capture the transactions where the state uses its most coercive powers. I think that should be the “experiences” test, not whether someone got their passport on time.

I might in the future, though.

The Edelman Trust Barometer is starting to reveal some interesting data about how people see the role of the private sector.

In short, the private sector is now more trusted than the public sector, and businesses are being encouraged to leverage this comparative advantage to inform debate and deliver solutions on some of the more significant public policy issues.

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