Political trust is the cornerstone of democratic governance. "The people cannot stand without trust." If politicians lack integrity and responsibility, even if they have elaborate public relations packages, it will be difficult to hide the decline in governance performance. The recent public discussion on the decline in Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan's trust reflects his systemic crisis in terms of policy declarations, position consistency, resume presentation, municipal accountability, and attitude toward public opinion. From the perspective of public administration and leadership, leaders' "behavioral integrity" and "public value creation" are the key to maintaining citizens' trust; once words and deeds are disconnected, the marginal effect of public relations and marketing will be diminished, and the trust crisis will be irreversible.
Taipei citizens' declining trust in Chiang Wanan reflects his systemic crisis in policy declarations, position consistency, resume presentation, municipal accountability, and attitude towards public opinion. (Central News Agency file photo)
First, policy announcements appear hollow and impression management occurs. Before the election, Chiang Kai-shek announced an ambitious plan to relocate the Songshan Airport, but after the election, there was no specific plan, and they only responded with crude documents and official language. When it came to cross-district issues such as medical care on outlying islands, there were even false answers and blame-shifting afterwards, highlighting the lack of supporting policies.
Secondly, the position shows double standards. He claims that there is no room for ambiguity on the issue of poison prevention, but in the past he proposed a budget to support methadone alternative treatment and neglected to concurrently serve as the director of the poison prevention center. In the face of public doubts on social media, he even deleted his comments and blocked his account. Policymakers undermine the fairness of the public communication process by displaying double standards and blocking out opposing voices.
Furthermore, gaps in experience severely damage moral trust. The long-established elite character of Silicon Valley lawyers has been overshadowed by the fact that the California bar license has been inactive for many times due to unpaid dues and the degree has become controversial. Organizational behavior emphasizes that sincere leadership is the cornerstone of trust, and excessive packaging and factual gaps severely damage moral trust.
Furthermore, municipal crises demonstrate an attitude of avoidance of responsibility. Faced with challenges such as rat infestations, over-cutting of trees, loopholes in protecting the property of warded elders, food safety, and flooding, the core decision-makers are accustomed to answering incorrect questions or passing on responsibilities to grassroots civil servants. They lack the empathy of service-oriented leaders, causing grassroots governance to sink.
Jiang Wanan faced challenges such as excessive tree cutting, food safety, and flooding. His core decision-making habit was to answer incorrect questions or transfer responsibilities to grassroots civil servants. The picture shows the tomato tree that was removed from Dongmen Market. (Taken from Hong Wanzhen’s Facebook)
Finally, avoiding the war stratospheric weakens the proper pattern of a capital mayor. Faced with the scrutiny of the news media, they shrink back and avoid fighting, and only choose programs with similar positions to keep warm. When the polls get closer, they lament that voters are irrational. Social trust is a two-way interaction. If we lose empathic listening and attribute governance failures to the people, it will only tear apart the bond of trust with voters in the middle.
In summary, the trust crisis in Chiang Kai-shek's government is rooted in vacuous policies, double standards, experience gaps, and an attitude of avoiding responsibility. The mayor of the capital should not stop at public relations packaging. What Taipei City needs is responsible politics with down-to-earth performance and consistent words and deeds. Only by abandoning stratospheric protection and facing citizen supervision can we re-establish trust in the capital that can withstand the test.
(The author is freelance)
