The Fragility of Trust
By Julian McCall
Merriam-Webster defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” It is the foundation of any relationship and incredibly fragile. Trust can be gained or lost in an instant, and lost trust can be difficult to regain.
Interpersonal trust is a two-way street—my actions reassure your trust in me, and your actions reassure my trust in you. Trust between citizens and the government operates the same way. Citizens give their consent to be governed, and in return, the government works in the citizens’ best interest.
The importance of trust cannot be understated, especially as America attempts to vaccinate its population. “Trust in government is crucial to voluntary compliance with government policy,” say MIT researchers Lily Tsai and Benjamin Morse. “And it can increase citizens’ tolerance of measures that seem invasive, annoying, or disruptive. In contrast, distrust can result in citizen disagreement or active resistance to government policy.” Ending the pandemic is priority number one for the incoming Biden administration, and they’ll need citizens’ trust to effectively do so.
However, trust in governments and other key institutions is falling. A Gallup poll measuring public trust in institutions since 1973 illustrates this dangerous phenomenon. From 1973 to 2020, the percentage of people who place “a great deal [or] quite a lot” of trust in Congress fell from 42% to 13%. By that same metric, trust in the Presidency fell from 52% to 39%, trust in banks fell from 60% (1979) to 38%, and trust in TV news fell from 46% (1993) to 18%.
Trust in the government declined because they violated the trust of millions. The Vietnam War began the downward trend in trust, but the 2008 financial crisis may have accelerated it. Since then, save for 2009, trust in Congress and the presidency has languished below 13% and 40% respectively.
Government response to the Great Recession found criticism from across the political spectrum. On the Right, the Tea Party Movement roundly cried “big government!” in response to Obama policies aimed at helping homeowners. The progressive Occupy Wall Street movement protested income inequality and bank CEOS receiving raises after emerging relatively unscathed from the economic crisis that wrecked millions of lives. On both sides, people were losing faith in their government’s ability to protect their interests.
This falling trust has led to a rise in anti-establishment figures tapping into populist discontent. Donald Trump won the presidency in part due to his promise to “drain the swamp,” a promise unfulfilled as he leaves office four years later. During his campaign, he won supporters’ trust after claiming he would attack “corrupt politicians” on behalf of his supporters. On the other side of the political spectrum, progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have gone after individuals and systems viewed as corrupt and unjust. While their politics are a world apart, both posture as anti-establishment figures promising fundamental reform.
Currently, the government’s fumbling of the COVID-19 pandemic is eroding public trust in key institutions. According to this NSF-funded study, only 42% of Americans trust Congress to manage the pandemic. Given that Congress will soon pass just the second stimulus package to help Americans struggling with COVID-19 related contractions since the pandemic started, it’s understandable why trust is falling. When Congress fails to prioritize people over other concerns, people consequently lose faith in government.
Increasing trust in American government and institutions should be a top priority for the incoming Biden administration, both to hedge against populism and to effectively vaccinate hundreds of millions of Americans. While it’s difficult to regain lost trust, demonstrating competence can reaffirm the relationship between citizens and the government. By successfully organizing vaccine logistics and coordinating with states to effectively lower COVID deaths and cases, the Biden administration would help reestablish public trust in government.
Julian McCall ’23 studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at j.c.mccall@wustl.edu.