The article examines influence of factors of trust, distrust, and fake news on the level of legitimacy of state power and decisions taken. The position of the authors who establish a clear correlation between the level of legitimacy of the government and the level of development of its democratic institutions is disputed. The legitimacy of power is based on the assessment of the conformity of the position of authority and decisions made to the image of power formed in the civil consciousness and shared ideological positions.
