Comparing the Effects of E-Government and Social Media Use on Trust in Government: Evidence from Seoul, South Korea

This study examines how citizens’ use of government social media accounts and e-government websites relate to perceptions of government trustworthiness. We hypothesize that greater use of e-government websites for information by citizens is negatively associated with perceptions of government trustworthiness, whereas greater use of government social media accounts is positively associated with perceptions of government trustworthiness. We investigate these hypotheses using data from a 2012 sample of 1,100 Seoul citizens. In general, the findings offer support for our hypotheses yet also indicate that some dimensions of government trustworthiness are more intransigent than others. This paper concludes by discussing implications for theory and practice.