Dissatisfaction is highest with the Ministry of Finance’s work

A public opinion survey shows that when assessing ministries’ work, it is not only results that matter, but also how clearly people understand the institution’s role and impact. Higher ratings go to ministries whose activities are visible and whose purpose is unambiguously understood by society.

Background

In the survey, people were asked to rate how well ministries have been doing their work lately. Responses were on a scale from ‘very poorly’ to ‘very well’.

Key observations and reasons

Areas with a clear purpose receive better ratings

The Ministry of Defence stands out clearly from the rest: its work receives more positive than negative ratings. This does not only indicate a good reputation, but reflects a broader pattern in which people rate higher those fields whose necessity has been in the spotlight in recent years.

In security and national defence, many people understand what problem is being addressed and why decisions are made. When society perceives a threat and sees the state acting actively to address it, this carries over into ratings of the ministry’s work.

The Ministry of the Interior is also balanced, but slightly positive. Internal security is likewise a field where the state’s role is clear to people and directly associated with everyday life.

Decisions affecting everyday livelihoods bring criticism

The work of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Climate is rated most critically. In both cases, negative ratings outnumber positive ones by several times. This reflects broader dissatisfaction with decisions that affect people’s day-to-day livelihood – taxes, prices, and the cost of living.

Past experience shows that economic uncertainty and perceived pressure on household budgets quickly translate into evaluations of public institutions. When changes are felt directly by people but their long-term benefit remains unclear, policy is perceived more as a burden than as a solution.

In such a situation, it is not so much the ministry’s internal organization that is judged, but the impact of decisions on personal life, which explains the strong criticism of economic and climate policy.

Low visibility and unclear role keep ratings in the negative

For several ministries – especially in education, social, and regional fields – it stands out that in addition to criticism, a large share of people cannot rate their work at all. This indicates that the role of these institutions and the impact of their activities are not sufficiently clear to the public.

When people do not see a direct link between a ministry’s work and their everyday life, ratings often remain weak or skew negative. Earlier attitude studies have shown that a lack of visibility and clear communication can reduce trust even when the actual work has not substantively failed.

Ratings of ministries’ work (%)

Methodological note: ‘Good’ includes responses ‘rather well’ and ‘very well’, ‘bad’ includes ‘rather poorly’ and ‘very poorly’. ‘Rating gap’ shows how many more or fewer positive ratings there are than negative.

Chart config (raw)

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