Public policy often fails not at the design stage, but at the point where it meets public behaviour. Many policies are technically sound, yet struggle during implementation because public trust is weak. Repeated policy reversals, uneven application and unclear communication create uncertainty. When rules appear temporary or inconsistently enforced, citizens adjust their expectations. Compliance weakens, not out of defiance, but out of doubt about whether the policy will last.
Trust directly shapes policy outcomes. Low trust raises enforcement costs as authorities rely more on oversight than cooperation. Voluntary compliance declines when people expect selective enforcement or abrupt changes. Even routine measures, such as regulatory requirements or service reforms, lose effectiveness when citizens assume they may be revised or withdrawn. Over time, this creates implementation gaps where policies exist on paper but function poorly in practice.
Policymakers should approach trust as a practical governance variable rather than a moral appeal. Consistency in decisions allows citizens to plan around rules. Transparency in process signals seriousness, even when choices are contested. Most importantly, follow through builds credibility, since trust grows from repeated institutional behavior, not from assurances or intent.
Ignoring trust carries a measurable cost. Policies continue to be announced, but their impact remains limited. Sustainable reform depends not only on good design, but on the confidence that rules will be applied clearly, consistently, and over time.
Arhum Kammran Shah
Lahore
