Rice University study: People affected by natural disasters lack trust in government

A Rice University report released in February showed that people affected by natural disasters generally have a lower amount of overall trust in government.

According to a recent study by Rice University graduate student in sociology Alexander Priest, people are more inclined to distrust the government when family and friends are affected by natural calamities. 

The research was titled “Under Pressure: Social Capitol and Trust in Government After Natural Disasters.” The findings have significant implications for disaster recovery and community resilience. The study can be found online.

“As climate change continues to escalate the threat from natural disasters, government officials and disaster managers must pay attention to these negative impressions and focus on ways to build trust so communities can recover more quickly,” Priest said in the report.

The study used data from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and was sourced from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and Department of Sociology at Rice. 

Priest found that most households surveyed had close relatives or friends affected by the storm. One notable aspect was that people, regardless of their exposure to the storm, had a higher propensity to mistrust the government if a loved one was involved.

The researcher believed this was because disaster managers focus on positive aspects of social ties in building community resilience. However, they fail to recognize the added stress that close relationships can bring to those not directly affected by the disaster. 

This creates a “pressure cooker” environment where blame is directed toward the government when seeking someone accountable for the situation. The study also suggests that apart from the emotional and physical burdens of a disaster, navigating the bureaucracy and red tape of relief efforts adds to stress for loved ones looking to help. This leads to even more negative perceptions of the government’s response and further diminishes trust.

Priest found that the threat of natural disasters is intensified by climate change and suggests it is crucial for government officials and disaster managers to address negative impressions and focus on rebuilding trust in the communities. 

Looking forward, Priest’s future research endeavors will examine how natural disasters shape local communities through permanent displacement of residents. This will help look into the long-term impacts of catastrophes in different regions of the country.