¿Influye el desempeño de los gobiernos en la percepción de confianza ciudadana a nivel local? Análisis de los determinantes de la confianza en las autoridades municipales de Colombia

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between institutional performance levels and citizens’ trust perceptions towards local political authorities of 36 Colombian municipalities in 2019 and 2021. Utilizing data from the National Survey of Political Culture and municipal government performance measurements, a panel data model with random effects was implemented. The findings reveal a positive correlation between government performance and perceived levels of citizen trust in local authorities.

The mobilization of domestic resources for public investment is the public administration dimension most associated with local positive trust attitudes, a potential effect of decentralization that has been scarcely studied before. The primary social drivers of institutional trust at the municipal level in Colombia are citizens’ income, occupation, and religion, consistent with findings from case studies previously conducted in other democracies.