Public Trust in Government Would any person buy a product with only one star reviews? The answer is simple: absolutely not. Those one star reviews show that the product is unreliable and poorly built, or that the customer service is atrocious. The American government has one star reviews, for it is only trusted by a fifth of its citizenry (Public Trust in Government). This lack of trust causes many problems within the United States, but it also may have helpful effects as well. Public trust in government has fallen in recent years, but thankfully remedies to rebuild this loss of trust are still attainable (Thompson). The causes for a decrease in public trust are vast and thus one cannot focus only on one issue (Ibid). One obvious reason that public trust in government is steadily eroding away is an ever increasing number of scandals in the political sphere, such as Nixon’s Watergate Scandal (Public Trust in Government). Another correlation that affects public trust is the presence of economic recessions (Thompson). Almost every time a recession hits, public trust in government falls soon thereafter (Ibid). The largest reason for lower public trust, …show more content…
however, is transparency involving government activities. “We actually now get to see… into that smoke-filled room where we’re seeing deals being cut. You see how the sausage is made; you don’t like eating the sausage as much anymore,” explains Economist Justin Wolfers (Staff, NPR). While the biggest proponents of lower public trust in government can be vastly different, the effects can be even more varied. The effects of lower public trust can be both positive and negative, depending on how one looks at the state of affairs.
Not all Americans are necessarily angry at the government, but they are certainly frustrated with it (How Americans View Government). Less public trust has led to a restless citizenry who do not trust even the people they elect, and has also led to the people seeing a moral decline in government (Ibid). These effects can be positive, however, for a lack of trust in the federal government has led Americans to seek trust in their local governments (Ibid). Distrust in government can also led to a stronger sense of patriotism in the minds of individual citizens, and thus support the principles of individualism (Vavreck). Government trust may be falling, but there still are remedies to revive that
trust. Once trust is lost, it is hard to regain, and that point is made after seeing the ways in which government trust has increased in the past. One of the major reasons trust in government has fallen is transparency (Staff, NPR). When less information about government practices is known, trust in government may once again increase (Ibid). Economic stability has also been linked to higher levels of trust in government (Thompson). Tom Brokaw, a veteran journalist, says that much of the trust involving government has been misplaced in economic prosperity following The Great Depression (Staff, NPR). Brokaw recommends that future generations shift their focus to a higher quality of life instead of material prosperity (Ibid). Both the causes and effects of the shifts in public trust are diverse, and thus it is difficult to discern what the best course of action is for the future. While some of the reasons for the loss of public trust are uncontrollable, some, such as scandals, can be controlled if more of an emphasis is placed on the morality of government leaders. The road to gain a bond of trust between the government and its citizens is a long one and the methods to achieve that bond are improbable, but it can be attained. Though the remedies for lower public trust may work, the considerable loss of public trust in government is widespread and will be difficult to overcome (Thompson).
the public can put its trust ad faith in but this time it fell apart
O’Connor, K., Sabato, L. J., Yanus, A. B, Gibson, Jr., L. T., & Robinson, C. (2011). American Government: Roots and Reform 2011 Texas Edition. United States: Pearson Education, Inc.
What do you think are the most important reasons for low public trust in government? How could public trust in government be
It is clear that while political scandal, primarily the 1974 Watergate scandal, played a large role in the rapidly declining confidence in government between 1968 and 1980, it is not the sole or even the dominant factor. The Watergate scandal only impacted on the Nixon era, and subsequently lead to measures that should have prevented further distrust in the government. Instead, the role played by the four presidents who held office in those years was the main reason behind the decline in confidence. The role of the presidents and their White House administrations encompassed political scandals, and also clearly influenced other factors such as the role
The government of the United States of America is very unique. While many Americans complain about high taxes and Big Brother keeping too close an eye, the truth is that American government, compared to most foreign democracies, is very limited in power and scope. One area American government differs greatly from others is its scope of public policy. Americans desire limited public policy, a result of several components of American ideology, the most important being our desire for individuality and equal opportunity for all citizens. There are many possible explanations for the reason Americans think this way, including the personality of the immigrants who fled here, our physical isolation from other countries, and the diversity of the American population.
We often wonder about the importance of government. Is it necessary? Does it really benefit society? The answer is yes. Many countries have diverse forms of government such as totalitarian, monarchy, theocracy, and much more. The United States of America specifically runs a democratic type of government. A democratic government gives power to the people. Citizens over the age of eighteen are allowed to elect leaders based on their individual opinions through voting rights. The main purpose of the American government is, to protect people’s inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness as our Founding Fathers intended.
Wilson, James Q., John J. DiIulio, Jr., and with Meena Bose. American Government: Institutions & Policies. 12th ed. Boston, MA.: Wadsworth Publishing, 2011.
O’Connor, Karen, Larry J. Sabato, Alexandra B Yanus. American Government: Roots and Reform. Indianapolis, indianna: Pearson, 2011.Print.
Edwards III, C. George, Martin P. Wattenberg, Robert L. Linberry. “Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy”. Textbook.
Everyday citizens often live unaware of their government’s inner workings. The knowing of political espionage is often too heavy of a subject to be inducted in conversation. True, prima facie, modest twists and turns of information may not be considered substantial, but this inconsideration leaves much to be uncontrolled. It is easy for political leaders to become power crazed, to not realize the massive implications that come of their actions. Only after all is said and done do the people actually realize their government is an opaque mask of deception. The Watergate Scandal substantially impacted Americans’ trust in their government.
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have” (Democracy Quotes). Years ago, Thomas Jefferson was among many who, during drafting and ratification of the constitution, voiced their wariness over the creation of a strong national government. Professor I.M. Skeptic argues that the constitution was born out of a distrust of democracy. I do believe that the constitution was created out of distrust; however I believe this distrust is for a strong central government that was displayed through Britain 's monarchy, not of democracy.
Political leaders of the United States were, at one time, thought of as crucial members of our society. Ideally, their main goal was to represent and satisfy the needs of the American people. Unfortunately, over the last fifty years, our trust in our administrative representatives has drastically declined. Beginning with the great conspiracy theory that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 was actually planned by political leaders, America had, for the first time in history, begun to question its faith in its very own government. Consequently, the American people became extremely hesitant when it came to electing officials into office.
Works Cited Hudson, William E. American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America’s Future – Fourth Edition. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2004. Landy, Marc and Sidney M. Milkis. American Government: Balancing Democracy and Rights.
and is this distrust of our government even a serious problem at all? These are
In this essay I will be analyzing the role of diversity in democracy, I will start with direct and representative democracy’s, then continue onto the primary focus of this essay which will be the analysis of an essay by Joshua Cohen, I will conclude by raising some of my issues with deliberative democracy and the solutions required to allow the maximum amount of diversity.