Lessons from the OECD Trust Survey in Portugal
This paper builds on the results of the OECD Trust Survey in Portugal to identify
the main areas for improvement and guidelines for action to help Portugal reinforce
trust and democracy and enhance public governance to address future challenges. The
Portuguese government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis drew on lessons learned from
previous crises, notably the plunge in public trust after the 2008 financial crisis
and the subsequent economic austerity measures which shook the political system and
considerably impacted economic and social well-being. Public trust has traditionally
been heralded as crucial for public governance. However, to build resilience in the
face of multiple social, economic and environmental crises, Portugal will need to
set public trust as an explicit policy objective and better understand what drives
it. Investments in building a competent and trusted civil service will also be needed
to develop more responsive and better-informed policy responses.
Published on March 20, 2023
In series:OECD Public Governance Policy Papersview more titles