Polling reveals that Americans have never had less trust in “institutions.”
For 50 years, Gallup has routinely asked people how much they trust major media outlets. Over time, those who say they have absolutely no trust in mainstream media went from being the smallest segment of the population to the largest segment of the population.
A similar history can be told regarding Americans’ trust in Congress, the Presidency, all of government, academia, and medicine. As government has taken increasing control over these institutions, peoples’ trust in the institutions has plummeted.
Now those who call themselves “liberals” are in a state of panic. Increasingly, they perceive “liberalism” to be nothing but an effort to save “institutions” from popular hatred. Of course, their self-awareness
“Trust in institutions has deteriorated substantially,” said Kay Schlozman, professor of political science at Boston College. Schlozman said she believes in government and the things it provides, such as national defense and access to health care, but “I also can very much understand why the American people can be cynical about government.”
Confidence in the country’s foundational institutions has ebbed and flowed historically, though there’s been a long-term downward trend since at least the 1970s. See here.
