Impact of social fairness perception on sense of social security in China’s COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of political trust

The findings extend institutional trust theory by demonstrating that procedural equity (e.g., transparent policy implementation) reinforces governance legitimacy during crises. To mitigate disparities, policymakers should standardize urban-rural welfare systems to address unequal mediation pathways and institutionalize participatory equity audits in crisis governance frameworks. These measures operationalize the critical link between fairness perceptions and societal resilience.