The Effects of Voters’ Relative Evaluations of Government Response to COVID-19 on Government Trust, Satisfaction of Democracy, and National Pride in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 has impacted on political support of voters. This research analyzes the effects of voters’ relative evaluations of government response to COVID-19 on their government trust, satisfaction of democracy, and national pride. For this analysis, this research analyzes survey data conducted in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. According to results, it is commonly observed in all three countries that voters’ relative evaluations of government response to COVID-19 have significant impacts on their government trust, satisfaction of democracy, and national pride. The voters, who perceive their government response to COVID-19 is better than other advanced countries’ responses, have higher levels of government trust, satisfaction of democracy, and national pride. It implies that the government’s ability to manage health disasters like COVID-19 become a new salience issue that decide a voter’s political support.