The Insider’s Dilemma: Government Ties, Performance, and Public Trust in Environmental NGOs

Environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) are key players in environmental governance, yet their connections with governments can shape public trust in complex ways. Challenging the assumption that closer nongovernmental organization (NGO)–government ties enhance legitimacy, this study examines how such ties affect trust, particularly under varying perceptions of governmental environmental performance. Through an online survey experiment in China, we find that government ties in the form of formal officials serving as board members generally weaken public trust in ENGOs, despite small effect sizes, with stronger effects when citizens perceive poor government environmental performance. The findings reveal a paradox: while citizens value ENGO independence, they also expect ENGOs to collaborate with capable governments. Overall, the study highlights the importance of state–NGO interactions in shaping public trust and underscores the need for ENGOs to balance access to state resources with organizational autonomy.