Rebuilding trust in government: The role of e-governance performance and political trust amid perceived corruption

Public trust in the Indonesian government continues to be low, even with multiple efforts to digitize public services via e-governance initiatives. . This problem is exacerbated by the high level of corruption and low political legitimacy, which makes the public sceptical of the government's intentions and integrity. This study aims to analyse how benevolence (government goodwill), perceived effectiveness of e-governance (PEG), and political trust (POT) affect trust in government (TGV), and to evaluate political trust as both a mediator and moderator. The survey was conducted on 383 public digital service users in Java and examined through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that PEG had a significant effect on TGV, while benevolence showed no direct or indirect influence. Political trust plays a crucial role as both a direct predictor and a mediator; however, the interaction between PEG and POT on TGV is not significant. The theoretical contribution of this research lies in affirming that trust in government is not sufficiently shaped by the perception of institutional morality (benevolence), but rather is determined by the perception of political legitimacy (political trust), thus highlighting the pivotal role of political trust within Trust Theory. Within the framework of Institutional Theory, this study emphasizes that the effectiveness of digital innovation will only have an impact on public trust if a trusted political structure supports it. This research offers strategic recommendations for developing countries to undertake digital transformation while also enhancing integrity, transparency, and political legitimacy.