How perceived red tape in freedom of information processing shapes public servants' trust in citizens: Evidence from Slovakia and Croatia

Freedom of information (FOI) requests are a central mechanism for providing citizens with information about government operations. However, the operational burdens these requests place on public servants and their implications remain underexplored. Conceptualizing FOI requests through a red tape perspective, we examine perceived compliance burdens and dysfunction related to FOI processing among public servants. We argue that public servants' perception of red tape in the processing of FOI requests is negatively associated with their trust in citizens. This association is partially mediated by negative associations with public servants' beliefs that citizens trust them. To examine this, we use unique survey data collected from public servants dealing with FOI requests in Croatia ( n = 1547) and Slovakia ( n = 2188). Using structural equation models, we find that perceived FOI dysfunction, but not perceived compliance burden, is negatively associated with trust in citizens both directly and indirectly through public servants' perceptions of being trusted by citizens. The findings emphasize the need for considering public servants' attitudes toward government transparency processes, and the impact such attitudes may have on state-citizen relationships. • The processing of freedom of information (FOI) requests can generate red tape for public servants. • The article examines correlates of FOI process red tape among public servants in Croatia and Slovakia. • Public servants perceiving FOI dysfunction believe that citizens trust them less, and trust citizens less. • Clarifying connections between FOI and core organizational goals may improve trust among public servants and citizens.