Governments are operating in a context where multiple overlapping crises, whether exceptional or expected, have become the norm. Challenges like climate change, technological disruption and social inequalities require complex, long-term solutions. In many instances, governments in OECD surveyed countries have responded at speed and scale to economic, public health and security shocks, and seem to have limited their impact on trust levels. In part, this may be due to recent advances that OECD surveyed countries have made in assessing, preventing and responding to crises or disasters which have large socio-economic impacts.
At the macro level, economic, environmental, public health and security trends are likely to affect trust levels through their impact on how stable and secure individuals feel. Data from the OECD Trust Survey show a mixed picture on this measure. On average, 53% of people across surveyed OECD countries are confident that their government would be prepared to protect people’s lives in the event of a large-scale emergency while 31% are not (Figure 2.7). This sentiment may have been reinforced by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic aftermath.
Crisis management and preparedness require public institutions to make decisions amidst uncertainty. The complexity is compounded when addressing societal challenges that require complex trade-offs or involve a high degree of uncertainty. People’s main concerns at the end of 2023 were about the economy (see also Chapter 3 on Prosperity). On average, 59% of people in the countries surveyed identify inflation as one of the three most important issues facing their country (Figure 2.8), making it by far the most frequently cited concern. Poverty and social inequality are cited as top concerns by 33% on average, and unemployment and jobs by 22%. A second important area of concern in many countries is violence or crime. An average of 30% of people across participating countries name these as among the top three issues facing their country, and 11% are concerned about defence and foreign affairs, including war and terrorism.
When asked about their confidence that national governments can help business and people use new technologies like artificial intelligence, responsibly and regulate them appropriately, around four in ten people (41%) find it likely. Similarly, 42% of the population feel confident that their country will succeed in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Figure 2.9). While this figure is not remarkably high, it is higher than might be expected considering current predictions indicating that greenhouse gas emissions will not fall enough to limit global warming to 1.5C (UNEP, 2023). This discrepancy may be explained by people expecting only that overall emissions can be reduced, rather than that international agreements or carbon neutrality are met.
