How Does Disaster Relief Works Affect the Trust in Local Government? A Study of the Wenchuan Earthquake

Abstract Political trust can lead to cooperation and is very important in emergency and disaster management. However, the impact of disaster events on political trust is complicated. On May 12, 2008, a disruptive earthquake hit Southwest China, killing thousands of people and causing billions in economic losses. The Chinese national government's swift response was praised by the public, but the local government trust was not well documented. Through fieldwork in one of the most damaged counties, how disaster relief work affected the trust in local government was analyzed. Political trust varies in different levels of government in China. People trust the central government more than the local government. After the earthquake, there was a polarization trend in the local political trust. The few cases of role abandonment had a very bad effect on local political trust. The pre‐disaster distrust, the impolite manners of local officials, and the gap between public expectations and the local government capacity in disaster relief impaired trust in local government. An easily operated and widely covered disaster assistance model is good to improve political trust after extreme tragedies. How to implement policies effectively and equally at the local level and the intergovernmental interchanges are the challenges for all levels of government, and will impact the public's trust in government.