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Exploring Aggregate vs. Relative Public Trust in Administrative Agencies that Manage Spent Nuclear Fuel in the United States

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  • Kuhika Gupta
  • Joseph T. Ripberger
  • Hank C. Jenkins‐Smith
  • Carol L. Silva

Abstract

Trust is a key component of democratic decision‐making and becomes even more salient in highly technical policy areas, where the public relies heavily on experts for decision making and on the information provided by federal agencies. Research to date has not examined whether the members of the public place different levels of trust in the various agencies that operate within the same policy subsystem, especially in a highly technical subsystem such as that of nuclear energy and waste management. This paper explores public trust in multiple agencies operating within the same subsystem, trust in each agency relative to aggregate trust across agencies that operate within the nuclear waste subsystem, and trust in alternative agencies that have been suggested as possible players in the decision‐making process. We find that trust accorded to different federal agencies within the nuclear waste subsystem varies. The variation in trust is systematically associated with multiple factors, including basic trust in government, perceptions about the risks and benefits of nuclear energy/waste management, party identification, and education. These findings have significant implications for research on public trust in specific government agencies, alternative policy entities, and for policy makers who want to design robust and successful policies and programs in highly technical policy domains. 信任是民主决策的一个重要组成部分，它在高度技术化的政策领域中的重要性更强，在这些领域中公众严重依赖专家决策、以及由联邦机构提供的信息。目前的研究还未检验公共成员是否对同一政策子系统中运作的不同机构存在不同程度的信任，尤其是在高度技术化的子系统中，例如核能与废物管理。本文探究了公众对在同一子系统中运作的多个机构的信任程度，与对核废物子系统中运作的不同机构的整体信任相比公众对其中每个机构的信任程度，以及公众对替代性机构（被视为决策过程中可能的参与者）的信任程度。我们发现在核废物子系统中运作的不同联邦机构所获得的信任程度不同。信任差异在系统上与多个因素相关，包括对政府的基本信任、对核能/废物管理的风险和利益的感知、党派识别、教育。这些研究发现对有关公众对特定政府机构的信任的研究、替代性政策实体、以及那些想要在高度技术化政策领域中设计稳健且成功的政策和计划的决策者而言具有重要意义 La confianza es un componente clave de la toma de decisiones democráticas y se vuelve aún más relevante en áreas de políticas altamente técnicas, donde el público depende en gran medida de expertos para la toma de decisiones y de la información proporcionada por las agencias federales. La investigación hasta la fecha no ha examinado si los miembros del público colocan diferentes niveles de confianza en las diversas agencias que operan dentro del mismo subsistema de políticas, especialmente en un subsistema altamente técnico como el de la energía nuclear y la gestión de residuos. Este documento explora la confianza pública en múltiples agencias que operan dentro del mismo subsistema, la confianza en cada agencia en relación con la confianza agregada en todas las agencias que operan dentro del subsistema de residuos nucleares, y la confianza en agencias alternativas que se han sugerido como posibles actores en el proceso de toma de decisiones. Encontramos que la confianza otorgada a las diferentes agencias federales dentro del subsistema de residuos nucleares varía. La variación en la confianza se asocia sistemáticamente con múltiples factores, incluida la confianza básica en el gobierno, las percepciones sobre los riesgos y beneficios de la gestión de la energía / desechos nucleares, la identificación del partido y la educación. Estos hallazgos tienen implicaciones significativas para la investigación sobre la confianza pública en agencias gubernamentales específicas, entidades políticas alternativas y para los responsables políticos que desean diseñar políticas y programas sólidos y exitosos en dominios de políticas altamente técnicos.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuhika Gupta & Joseph T. Ripberger & Hank C. Jenkins‐Smith & Carol L. Silva, 2020. "Exploring Aggregate vs. Relative Public Trust in Administrative Agencies that Manage Spent Nuclear Fuel in the United States," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 37(4), pages 491-510, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:revpol:v:37:y:2020:i:4:p:491-510
    DOI: 10.1111/ropr.12385
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark K. McBeth & Megan Warnement Wrobel & Irene van Woerden, 2023. "Political ideology and nuclear energy: Perception, proximity, and trust," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 40(1), pages 88-118, January.
    2. Philip Baxter & Justin V. Hastings & Philseo Kim & Man‐Sung Yim, 2022. "Mapping the development of North Korea's domestic nuclear research networks," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 39(2), pages 219-246, March.

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