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Trust in Government and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors

Author

Listed:
  • Yenny Guzman-Ruiz

    (Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, US)

  • Joshua Choe

    (The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, US)

  • Gerard F. Anderson

    (Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, US)

  • Antonio J. Trujillo

    (Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, US)

Abstract

High levels of trust are positively correlated with increased collaboration, prosocial actions, and heightened adherence to preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies on trust during the pandemic have primarily focused on either cross-sectional data or its impact in conjunction with other related variables, such as political party affiliations or vaccine availability. In this study, we employed a national survey panel comprising data from 760 individuals interviewed at three intervals between July 2020 and January 2021. We used pooled datasets, panel datasets, and dependent variable lags to control for time-invariant unobservable variables and endogeneity. Our findings reveal that trust in government influences individuals’ behavior when they are requested to follow public interventions. Notably, trust in local government is associated with increased adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors, similar to the effect observed with an annual income exceeding $100,000.

Suggested Citation

  • Yenny Guzman-Ruiz & Joshua Choe & Gerard F. Anderson & Antonio J. Trujillo, 2025. "Trust in Government and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors," Journal of Economic Analysis, Anser Press, vol. 4(1), pages 150-169, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bba:j00001:v:4:y:2025:i:1:p:150-169:d:352
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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