Government Transparency and Perceived Social Equity: Assessing the Moderating Effect of Citizen Trust in China

Transparency, trust, and equity are all considered critical components of good governance. However, few studies have looked into the possible impacts of transparency and trust on public perceptions of social equity. This study empirically examines the relationship between government transparency and perceived public service equity, and the moderating effect of citizen trust on that relationship. Using large sample citizen survey data from 36 major cities in China, we find that government transparency is positively related to perceived social equity. The results also reveal that citizen trust plays a moderating role in the relationship between transparency and perceived social equity.