Impact of Transparency on the Legitimacy and Effectiveness of Public Policies during COVID-19

This research analyzed the influence of government transparency on public policymaking and acceptance during the COVID-19 pandemic, combining quantitative and qualitative data to understand how information openness impacted institutional legitimacy and citizen cooperation. The results indicated that greater regularity in communication, access to open data, and citizen participation were positively associated with higher levels of trust and compliance with health measures. Furthermore, significant differences were identified between countries based on their transparency practices and institutional narratives, confirming that transparency is not only a technical mechanism but a symbolic element that affects social perception and behavior. These findings offer key elements for designing more effective and participatory governance strategies in health crisis contexts and reinforce the importance of open and adaptive practices to improve public management in emergencies.