Experimental Evidence on the Effect of Decision Justification Strategies on Citizen Perceptions of Government
通过一项2×2×2析因调查实验，研究了政策决策的正当化策略如何影响公民的信任和合法性感知，发现反对立场降低信任和合法性，而高度两极化的政策背景则产生相反效果。
Abundant literature documents a range of factors that shape citizen perceptions of government. However, attention to how the justification of a policy decision shapes citizen perceptions remains limited. In this study, we consider how justifications influence citizen trust and legitimacy through a 2 × 2 × 2 pre-registered factorial survey experiment that manipulates justification strategy, policy position, and policy type. Results indicate that opposing positions reduce trust and legitimacy while the context of a highly polarized policy has the opposite effect. Emotive-based strategies decrease trust but do not affect legitimacy. Further, the effect of a supportive or opposing position varies by level of policy polarization.