Challenging Trust in Government: COVID in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: COVID-19, arguably the new millennium's most trying test of state capacity, caught the world off guard. In order to contain the spread of the virus, governments had to respond quickly and comprehensively: strict lockdowns, movement restrictions, masks, and social distancing - measures that draw not only on public resources but also on the buy-in and cooperation of civil society. Citizen compliance and cooperation are founded on trust in government institutions. As such, the pandemic has also been a stress test for trust in government. Trust in government is a crucial determinant of effective crisis management, and governments lacking such trust suffer a profound disadvantage. In many instances, strict lockdown measures were accompanied by an expansion of executive powers. This creates power imbalances, or aggravates existing ones, and poses a threat to trust in government. High levels of vaccine hesitancy, a looming recession, and expectations of government support require ongoing

Object Details

• Alternative title: COVID als Vertrauensfrage für Regierungen in Subsahara-Afrika
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 11 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion ; begutachtet

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: GIGA Focus Afrika ; Bd. 3

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Politik

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Hamburg
• (who): SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
• (when): 2021
• Creator: Hartwig, Renate ; Hoffmann, Lisa
• Contributor: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) - Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien, Institut für Afrika-Studien

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-73841-7
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:37 AM CEST