From development performance to institutional trust in Vietnam: implications for policy legitimacy and citizen engagement

This article examines how Vietnamese respondents’ lived experiences of development are associated with institutional trust and citizen engagement, and what these associations imply for policy legitimacy. Drawing on a 2026 survey and a 2024–2025 comparison survey, the study treats development not as a macroeconomic outcome alone but as a lived policy experience examined alongside respondents’ evaluations of governance and public services. Because the 2026 survey is a large, geographically concentrated non-probability survey collected through student-linked acquaintance networks, the findings are interpreted as theoretically informed associational patterns rather than nationally representative estimates, confirmed mechanisms or causal effects. The findings show that perceived development has a two-sided structure. Public service experience is positively associated with legitimacy-related trust, especially through evaluations of transparent fees, fair treatment, clear guidance and processing time. Development benefits do not retain a stable direct association with participation once political efficacy, governance quality and development strain are included. Item-level analysis further shows that the negative strain-participation association is concentrated in perceived widening inequality rather than cost-of-living pressure. The article contributes by showing that, within this sample, positive evaluations of development are more strongly linked with institutional trust when governance is experienced as inclusive, responsive, fair and reliable.