Trust in government institutions: The effects of performance and participation in the Dominican Republic and Haiti

• Published in: International political science review Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 18 - 35
• Main Authors: Stoyan, Alissandra T, Niedzwiecki, Sara, Morgan, Jana, Hartlyn, Jonathan, Espinal, Rosario
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England Sage Publications 01.01.2016; SAGE Publications; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Citizen participation; Clientelism; Democracy; Developing countries; Dominican Republic; Economic analysis; Effects; Government corruption; Government performance; Haiti; Latin American politics; Participation; Political corruption; Political ideologies; Political partisanship; Politics; Trust; Dominican Republic; Haiti; civic engagement; security; government performance; Institutional trust; contextual effects; religious engagement; economy; political participation; corruption
• ISSN: 0192-5121; 1460-373X
• DOI: 10.1177/0192512114534703

This article analyzes theories of institutional trust in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, two developing countries that have shared some historical legacies but currently manifest divergent economic and political trajectories. The evidence confirms that conventional theories emphasizing participation and government performance help us understand institutional trust in both countries. In addition, the analysis emphasizes the analytical leverage gained by exploring the extent to which different facets of engagement have divergent effects on institutional trust. The findings build upon previous research to underscore the importance of considering how context shapes the precise ways in which performance and engagement influence institutional trust, particularly when analyzing the developing world.