The article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations of the political perception of the image of civil servants in a philosophical and economic context. The relevance of the study is due to the transformation of public trust in institutions of power, under which the image ceases to be solely a tool for public presentation and becomes an institutional resource that simultaneously possesses an epistemological nature and an economic function. The paper proves that, from a philosophical perspective, the image is a subjective perceptual construct formed through the mechanisms of categorization and perceptual readiness. This process simplifies the cognitive assimilation of managerial reality, but at the same time it gives rise to the risks of stereotypical alienation and barriers to dialogue. In the economic paradigm, the perception of image is viewed as a mechanism of cognitive economy and signaling in conditions of limited rationality and profound information asymmetry. Image serves as an institutional signal that allows a citizen to rationally assess the expected utility of interaction with the state. The authors conclude that the dominance of negative attitudes provokes institutional avoidance, reduces the effectiveness of the population’s interaction with government bodies, and leads to a critical increase in systemic transaction costs. On the contrary, the formation of a transparent and positive image minimizes these costs, serving as a key intangible asset for ensuring institutional trust, motivating citizens, and enhancing the effectiveness of public administration.