Trust in Government as a Factor Influencing Acceptance of Behavioural Public Policy Instruments: Example of Poland and Selected Countries

Objective: To assess public support of selected nations with regard to various types of nudges introduced by behavioural public policy and the level of trust these nations have in their governments as the creators of these policies. Research Design & Methods: The article is based on literature studies, descriptive and comparative analysis along with statistical analysis of quantitative data derived from nudge acceptance surveys conducted (representative research samples, with the same methodology and questionnaire) in Poland and other countries analysed, as well as from the World Values Survey studies carried out in these countries. Findings: In the countries analysed, citizens approve of most of the nudges presented to them. There is much greater variation in these countries in terms of trust in the government. The analysis of the relationships between both variables indicates that there is no simple linear relationship, i.e. there is neither an unambiguously positive nor negative relationship between the analysed variables. It is rather a U-shaped relationship. The division of the surveyed countries into four groups is also visible. Implications / Recommendations: The lack of trust in the government proven in the analysis may, in certain countries, be a factor that inhibits the acceptance of the tools introduced by the government and prevents or delays desired behavioural changes. In such a situation, an appropriate solution might be to create a behavioural team that could operate independently of the government and bring together experts who, with greater knowledge, would make better decisions regarding behavioural changes in societies. Governments can also use behavioural science to build trust among the public. Contribution: Enhancing knowledge of the potential use of behavioural public policy instruments and attempting to assess and benchmark trust in government and acceptance of these instruments in selected countries. The conclusions from the conducted research can be used by both practitioners and theoreticians in the field of public policy.