Do public administration reforms increase trust in government in transitional settings? Evidence from Ukraine

Do reforms influence trust and support for government? This paper addresses the relationship between trust and reform in Ukraine as a transitional setting. We theorise that trust plays a crucial role in transitional settings and that it can be increased via public sector reforms. Using original survey and experimental data from Ukraine, we analyse how citizens' assessments of improvements in administrative services and processes affect support and trust in government. We find that positive evaluations of reforms in Ukraine's public administration are associated with higher trust in government and that there is a causal link between administrative reforms and support.