3 3.1 The trust model Confidence and trust Trust is necessary because it simplifies complex decisions on whether or not to do things and whether or not to enter into commitments. German sociologist Niklas Luhmann distinguishes between two forms of trust: confidence (in systems) and trust (in people).(13 ) Both forms are central to the National Ombudsman’s trust model, since trust can relate either to government as a system or set of sub-systems (confidence in their reliability) or to particular actions by government officials (personal trust). The two forms of trust can interact both negatively and positively. At the macro level, government has many systems that help to foster public confidence. The main safeguards are the rule of law and democracy. The first of these is embodied, for example, in legal rights and the independent and impartial administration of justice, and the second in the right to vote and to stand for election. The unwritten rule that a minister or government must step down following a parliamentary vote of no confidence is at the heart of our parliamentary democracy in the Netherlands. It helps to ensure that voters have confidence in the democratic nature of the country’s administration, since a government can be toppled at any time and new elections lead to a change in the composition of parliament. In short, confidence in the government system is linked to a constellation of powers that interact to maintain a certain equilibrium. The very tension between these powers is essential to the maintenance of public confidence. Confidence is also important in more concrete situations. For it to exist, citizens must be able to rely on most things happening the way they expect. Will the police take action if I report a crime? Will the Tax Department phone me back? Will my benefit be calculated correctly and paid on time? Each and every one of the individual citizen’s many contacts with government tells him whether government can be trusted. The citizen’s confidence in government is the sum of his practical experiences of it. However, another form of trust is also in play in these micro-level contacts with government: the trust we have in people and our relationships with them. This kind of trust is more actively bestowed. It is not an abstract matter; we decide to make a commitment to a particular person.(14 ) Trust trust model | 8 Pagina 7
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