| Abstract [eng] |
As the country's supreme governing body, the government's role is to ensure the effective functioning of the state, the rule of law and the well-being of citizens. Citizens' confidence in it is important because of its wide range of positive political, social and economic effects. This trust was critical in 2020, when the world faced a health sector crisis - the COVID-19 pandemic. Various measures to restrict movement and physical contact have significantly affected the daily lives of every citizen. Citizens' trust in the government and its decisions was one of the most important factors in compliance with quarantine restrictions and recommendations. However, increasing knowledge of the virus and effectiveness of the government's solutions have led to changes in the confidence of the population during the different quarantine periods. The authors' research reveals that people's trust in the government during a pandemic led them to increase their compliance with restrictions and recommendations, while non-compliance led to sanctions. Although public trust is a frequent subject of research by Lithuanian and foreign authors, there is a lack of studies assessing changes in trust during different quarantine periods. There is also a paucity of studies that analyze how the population complies with the restrictions and recommendations imposed by the government during a pandemic, as this is the most important form of expression of public trust. Therefore, the research question is: how can administrative violations be related to trust in Government during different periods of COVID-19? The object of the study is the trust of the Lithuanian population in the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study is to analyze and compare the trust of the Lithuanian population in the Government and the results of administrative offenses during different quarantine periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been set: 1. to carry out a theoretical analysis of public trust; 2. to carry out an analysis of public trust during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis; 3. to carry out an analysis of the legal documents on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania; 4. to conduct an analysis of Lithuanian residents' trust in the Government and administrative violations during different quarantine periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involved analysis of scientific literature, legal documents and quantitative data. The quantitative research is carried out by analyzing the sanctions applied for breaches of the pandemic restrictions during the different quarantine periods. The first chapter describes in detail the concept and typology of trust, of which public trust is the most important. The concept of public trust, the factors that determine it and its meaning and measurement are presented. The second chapter analyses the role of public trust in the COVID-19 pandemic, the drivers of change and the 'rally around the flag' effect. The third chapter analyses the legal environment in the Republic of Lithuania and the decisions taken by the government to manage the spread of the virus. It highlights the sanctions that have been imposed on violators of the quarantine conditions in Lithuania. In the fourth chapter, an analysis of the results of trust surveys and administrative violations of quarantine was carried out, analyzing violators of quarantine conditions in Lithuania and its administrative units. The factors of changes in public trust and their trends in Lithuania are analyzed in the analysis of scientific literature. It is explained what changes in trust are recorded during quarantines in Lithuania. The main results of the project and their areas of application: 1. The theoretical analysis of public trust shows that public trust is the response of the population to the effective functioning of public authorities. It is determined by socio-demographic, socio-economic and institutional factors, and changes occur as a result of changes in the combination of these factors. 2. The analysis of trust in government during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis periods highlights that the population's trust in government led to higher quarantine compliance and lower pandemic losses. 3. The legal analysis of the management of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Lithuania highlights the role of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania as the main institution responsible for pandemic management. Violations of the various quarantine conditions set by it have been sanctioned under ANK 45 article 4 part . A study on the confidence of the Lithuanian population in the government during the different quarantine periods of the COVID-19 pandemic showed that during the second quarantine period, the population's confidence in the government decreased compared to the first. The demographic characteristics of the less trusting population are consistent with those identified in the theoretical analysis. Different administrative areas show different levels of growth in distrust. In Palanga municipality, the least trusting of the government was present during both quarantine periods. Preparing for crisis situations is important to reduce the problem of growing mistrust, and requires effective and accountable government communication and greater political participation of communities. |
