Citizen Perceptions of Governance and Public Policy Effectiveness: An Empirical Study

Governance quality and the effectiveness of public policies are central to social welfare and sustainable development, yet citizens often experience a mismatch between policy commitments and everyday realities. This study examines how people perceive key dimensions of governance accountability, transparency, participation, and service delivery and how these factors shape their overall satisfaction and trust in government institutions. Primary data were collected through a structured survey administered to 210 respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to profile citizens’ evaluations, and inferential techniques such as correlation and regression analysis were applied to explore the strength and direction of relationships between governance dimensions, public satisfaction, and institutional trust. The results show that transparency and accountability are the most powerful predictors of trust in government, whereas participatory avenues are perceived as relatively weak and underdeveloped. These findings point to persistent implementation gaps, especially in citizen engagement, despite ongoing governance reforms. The study offers evidence-based recommendations to strengthen governance practices and suggests pathways for making public policy more responsive, inclusive, and citizen-centric. By foregrounding citizens’ voices through primary data, the article adds empirical depth to contemporary debates on governance reform and policy performance.