Local political trust: The antecedents and effects on earthquake victims’ choice for allocation of resources

We empirically investigated the antecedents and effects of local political trust. The survey data (N = 424) were collected during postearthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction in China’s Sichuan province in 2008. Findings indicate that local political trust is shaped not only by policy appraisal, but also by perceptions of informational and emotional support from the local government. The attitudinal and behavioral consequences of trust suggest that the more that people trust, the more positive will be their evaluation of the local government, and the more resources they will be willing to allocate to communal facilities. Finally, the theoretical and applied implications of this study are discussed.