Venezuela: Trust vs. Distrust in Institutions and Governance

In this paper we examine the trust Venezuelan citizens have in their fellow citizens, the police force, elections and satisfaction with the functioning of the democratic system. The perception of change in their own economic status during President Chavez' government is also examined and the effects of these variables on governance. Our argument is that citizen perception about the country's situation (our indicator of the nation governance and dependent variable) is affected by the trust that they might deposit in national institutions and in other citizens. We hypothesized that citizen levels of trust in institutions will help to predict levels of governance of the political system. For this case we conclude that the following is proved: the economic policies and accountability and responsibility of state authorities in the political aspect will impact the governability of the country; at the same time, trust in institutions have implications on the design and implementation of public policies. Trust in the institutions and good governance enhance the democratic system.