Most Indonesians consider the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is doing a good job and trust its leadership, according to a quarterly survey by Roy Morgan Research.
Only 40 percent of respondents in the last quarter of 2005 agreed with the statement "I don't trust the current government", and it dipped another percentage point during January-March 2006.
"With over 60 percent trusting the government, the score is significantly higher than the views expressed of their own governments by citizens of countries like the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand," said Debnath Guharoy, Roy Morgan Research's regional director for Asia.
Similarly, 60 percent of Indonesians believe that the "government is doing a good job running the country," down from almost 70 percent in the third quarter of 2005 but up from 55 percent during the fourth quarter.
When Yudhoyono came to power, public opinion heralded the departure of President Megawati Soekarnoputri and the arrival of new, perhaps overly high expectations. The government was faced with tough choices last year, but the turbulent times have had their impact on people's perceptions.
Fuel price hikes of last year continue to cast a shadow on just about every aspect of life in Indonesia, although Consumer Confidence went up 2 points to 107 in the first quarter of 2006.
Dealing with the problem of corruption has become a major crusade of the President, and almost 90 percent of the people agree with him about graft's negative effect on society.
Popular indictments of high-profile officials and unpopular verdicts in the courts have each had their impact on this perception in each quarter.
Despite the ups and downs, Indonesians seem to be proud of an historic collective achievement in the resounding vote for democracy. In March 2006, three-quarters of citizens believed that "Democracy is working in Indonesia," a score that is gently moving upwards.
PT Roy Morgan Research interviewed over 6,000 respondents 14 years of age and older, randomly recruited across 16 provinces, covering over 90 percent of Indonesia's population, every 90 days. A total of 6,393 were interviewed during the January-March 2006 quarter, from over 25,000 respondents annually.