INSTITUTIONAL TRUST WITHIN RUSSIAN REGIONS

Abstract

The article analyzes the specifics of the formation of public confidence in the authorities. The leading research method was a questionnaire survey of the population (N=587 people). There is a low level of trust in federal and local authorities. Respondents' assessments are associated with the perceived failure of the authorities in solving pressing problems. It is concluded that these opinions are not based on a targeted search and critical understanding of information, as the majority of respondents are not interested in local politics and do not follow the news. Simultaneously, it was revealed that social networks / personal accounts of politicians, and digital communities have the greatest potential among information sources. However, the actual practices of involving residents in solving local problems are limited to participation in voluntarycompulsory events (subbotniks – group cleaning of specific areas) and passive / dependent activity (complaints, appeals, etc.). This contradiction indicates the lack of targeted actions to develop the potential of public participation. It seems significant to develop digital network interactions as an institutional mechanism for building trust between the population and the authorities. The principles of trust formation in digital network interactions are as follows: information openness of the authorities, reliability of information, real possibility of influencing decision-making