Trust during crisis: unveiling the role of perceived procedural transparency

This article investigates how citizens' perceptions of procedural transparency impact political trust during crises, using COVID-19 as a test case. It focuses on individual perceptions rather than actual government transparency, emphasizing the decision-making process over the inputs or outputs of decisions. The study aims to contribute to the debate by examining the extent to which citizens value decision-making transparency during crises, how they have perceived transparency during crisis management, and the latter's impact on political trust by employing a survey of six European countries. The findings suggest a strong relationship between procedural transparency and trust, with citizens ranking transparency as the key value in crisis management.