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Examining Public Perceptions of Trust in Local Government Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Course Name & Code Instructor’s Name Date Examining Public Perceptions of Trust in Local Government Trust in government is essential in promoting effective governance since individuals are more likely to comply with different public policies, especially those associated with taxes, public safety, and regulations. Trust in government is even more integral on local levels because most members of society are directly affected by government decisions. Nevertheless, trust can vary substantially depending on perception and individual experiences formed by cultural and social settings. For instance, as citizens gain more education, their expectation of local government performance increases. Trust in local government is one of the essential components for fostering social wellness and cohesion because it impacts the government's capacity to act without the need to resort to coercion. This research paper examines residents' experiences and perceptions of trust in their local government. Specifically, the study’s research question is, “How do residents perceive and experience trust in local government, and what factors influence these perceptions?” The background of this study is based on different assumptions involving the nature of trust and the process of formulating knowledge. Ontological assumptions in research comprise discussing the nature of reality and how human nature participates in the world (Alele & Malau-Aduli, 2023). Ontologically, the study assumes that trusting the local government is a subjective phenomenon in nature instead of an objective. When researching phenomena based on a specific social context, a social constructivist paradigm is vital due to the presence of subjectivity. The social constructivist paradigm emphasizes active interaction among participants. On the other hand, epistemological assumptions consist of foundational beliefs involving knowledge about reality and how the researcher can acquire and utilize them (Alele & Malau-Aduli, 2023). Epistemologically, the research assumes that the work backs with interpretivism, a sociological form of study in which researchers analyze actions or events based on values, norms, and beliefs on the culture of the community in which it takes place. Both ontological and epistemological assumptions stress the benefit of the qualitative research method that enables the scholar to deeply analyze how people interpret and perceive trust in their local governments. The decision to use the qualitative method for this research paper is based on the importance of gaining an in-depth understanding of trust, which is a challenging and complex social paradigm. This method explores and describes a situation instead of explaining it. The qualitative descriptive research goal is to offer a comprehensive summary of happenings. This method is perfect in explanatory or descriptive research when subjective experiences are primary to the phenomenon the researchers are studying. The subjective experiences involve an experiential and meaningful understanding of cognitive and emotional effects that are directly consequential to a person in how they interpret and understand events. As a result, individuals in this research will have the opportunity to describe how they interpret their thoughts, explaining the factors that impact their interpretation and perception of trust. Fortunately, using qualitative approaches, the study can stay close to the information and activities discussed by participants' lives, perspectives, and experiences, which will capture a holistic view of trust in the local administrations. The study will use different data collection approaches, sampling strategies, and ethical considerations to examine participants' subjective perceptions and experiences. These fundamentals are mainly selected to explore the subjective nature an...