Regulatory Trust

When regulators make decisions in the face of uncertainty, what gives legitimacy to their decisions? While trustworthy regulators may enhance social resilience, uncertainty erodes public trust and alienates citizens. This Article offers a framework for “regulatory trust”—the unique form of social trust invoked when regulatory agencies make decisions under conditions of uncertainty. In doing so, it examines what regulatory trust means, why it matters, and how it can be produced, maintained, and restored.