Pandemic and Crisis Preparedness and Response: Conceptualizing Cultural, Social and Political Drivers of Trustworthiness and Collective Action

During the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, trust in governments and between individuals was associated with lower rates of infections and mortality. Thus, understanding the conditions under which public trust allows for the development of effective policymaking, regular revision, and voluntary mobilization for effective implementation in times of crisis, is important from both a public health and governance perspective. In this article, we explore how core structures of distinct empirical, social and moral phenomena are theoretically interconnected into a conceptual model of trustworthiness in governing authorities. We hypothesize that empirical trustworthiness built over time needs to be combined with specific conditions for trustworthy agencies in emergency situations. We present a theoretically consistent conceptual model in the form of a compass tool that identifies areas of trust-conducive conditions for trustworthy authorities to address. The compass can be operationalized and empirically tested in specific national contexts. It can be applied by various groups to guide debate, explore, and monitor progress in developing trust-conducive conditions in support of a nation's holistic preparedness and response to crises. We have derived generalizable categories from specific issues occurring during the pandemic, but any team using this compass could dynamically align it for other types of crises.