Presence, Prowess, Power: Theorizing Trust in Local Political Life

Authors

Enrique Niño P. Leviste, Ateneo de Manila UniversityFollow

Abstract

Western theorizations have predominantly privileged a rationalist and institution-centric approach to analyzing trust, framing it as a function of formal rules, governance structures, and strategic calculation. Many contemporary Global South studies have deepened discussions on the dynamics of trust across different contexts. However, they have often adopted frameworks similar to those in Western scholarship, overlooking locally embedded, relational, and context-specific understandings of trust. In lieu of and in response to these perspectives, this paper proposes an alternative sociological theorization grounded on a nuanced understanding of local political dynamics that tend to be more informal, personal, and relational. Building on established scholarship on Philippine local politics and power relations, this study argues that presence and prowess function as core mechanisms in the cultivation of trust between local authorities, other influential actors, and their constituencies. Trust in one’s political leadership is established and nurtured through presence or sustained visible involvement in everyday community life. In turn, prowess or the ability to coherently and consistently present oneself as genuine or authentic reinforces a leader’s presence. This paper likewise points to the dynamism and fragility of trust building, contending that it is a negotiated process rather than a predetermined byproduct of political authority. Drawing substantial insight from conversations with local officials and community leaders in three provinces, academics, and members of an urban poor people’s organization (PO) based in Quezon City, it recognizes the potency of political agency in creating and maintaining social relationships at the local level.

Recommended Citation

Leviste, Enrique Niño P. (2025) "Presence, Prowess, Power: Theorizing Trust in Local Political Life," Social Transformations Journal of the Global South: Vol. 11: Iss. 2, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13185/2799-015X.1188
Available at: https://archium.ateneo.edu/socialtransformations/vol11/iss2/2