Is open data an enabler for trust? Exploring the link and the mediating role of citizen satisfaction

Abstract

In recent years, one of the main expectations of officials and politicians is to increase citizens’ trust in institutions as a result of openly disclose public data. This paper provides empirical evidence for 18 European countries on the significant and positive direct relationship between open government data and institutional trust, but there still exist areas for development. The mediating role of citizens’ satisfaction between open government data and trust is also confirmed. In addition, the moderation effect of social and demographic variables reveals a higher relationship for people highly educated, who are under 65 and access the Internet daily.