Governments in need are governments indeed: The impacts of job insecurity on trust in government

Abstract

In spite of voluminous literature on citizen trust in government and job insecurity, the relationship between job insecurity and trust in government has been overlooked. Drawing on performance theory and psychological democratic contract model, this study assesses the effects of job insecurity on trust in government. Using the Latinobarometer 2017, the findings suggest that job insecurity has a substantial negative impact on trust in government. A closer look at the impacts of job insecurity on various parts of government reveals a slightly differentiated picture. While job insecurity reduces trust in a national government, Congress, and the Court, it does not have a damaging impact on trust in police.