On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered a dramatic television address to the American people. Sitting at the desk of the Oval office, Carter warned of a fundamental threat to American democracy. That threat, he said, was a "crisis in confidence." He lamented: "The gap between our citizens and our government has never been so wide."
Carter's address came on the heels of 15 years of political and social unrest in the United States; it was a period that included the Vietnam War, civil rights protests, the Watergate scandal, and an oil crisis. In 1979, public trust in government had never been lower.
In his rise to the presidency, Ronald Reagan appealed to the public's burgeoning distrust in political institutions, casting himself as a political outsider, and adopting the mantra: "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." While trust in government improved during Reagan's presidency, and then briefly again after 9/11, it has since fallen.
Pew Research Center. Trust in Government: 1958–2019
Today, public trust in government is as low as it has ever been. The rise of fear-based news, the proliferation of social media, and the government's objectively faulty track record in recent decades have all contributed to the current climate. In my lifetime alone, the government initiated two wars under false pretenses, oversaw — and actively concealed — mass surveillance of its citizens, became increasingly shaped by lobbying and special interest influence, and is currently conducting its second public impeachment hearing against a sitting President.
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center earlier this year, only 17% of Americans today say they trust the government to do what is right. By comparison, during the height of Watergate, 40% of Americans trusted the government.
A healthy dose of skepticism in public institutions and the ability to hold elected officials accountable is paramount to a thriving democracy. But significantly depressed confidence in government hinders its efficacy and has generated momentum for ideologies that are rooted in disdain for established political institutions and which utilize conspiratorial conjecture to stoke fear and sow discord between the government and its citizens. It is critical for our government to stem this tide and restore public confidence.
A New Political Divide
In his 2012 book Twilight of the Elites, Chris Hayes argues that the country's political divide has evolved past the traditional break between Republicans and Democrats. The country, Hayes suggests, is now divided into two camps that he describes as institutionalists and insurrectionists.
Institutionalists continue to believe in the fundamental legitimacy and necessity of a "central repository of authority." They are therefore committed to defending the current system of government, despite its flaws.
Insurrectionists, on the other hand, are convinced that "there is something fundamentally broken about our current institutions, and believe that the only way to hold our present elites accountable is to force them to forfeit their authority." While institutionalists see the erosion of trust as "terrifying," insurrectionists see the plummeting of trust in public institutions as a good thing.
Insurrectionists find a haven on the "Intellectual Dark Web." Fringe sites like VDARE and InfoWars promote wildly baseless conspiracy propaganda about the Clintons, George Soros, and other members of the "elite class." Popular podcast personalities like Joe Rogan, Sam Harris, and Dave Rubin muse about the inner workings of the "deep state," often behind a guise of commonsense thinking. To the delight of their avid fan base of "free thinkers" (mostly young, white, financially secure men), they lambast the machine of political correctness and identity politics driven by the liberal media, and fantasize about a society free to develop absent any interference from the state.
The Vanguard of the Intellectual Dark Web. From left to right: Ben Shapiro, Dave Rubin, Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris
While insurrectionists have traditionally been confined to the fringes of the Internet, their influence is gaining more of a footing in the public conscience. Mainstream hosts like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity regularly spew anti-government rhetoric masked as pragmatic skepticism. The President himself incites distrust with references to the deep state and elitist corruption. Sadly, many Republican politicians have followed suit, furthering the divide between the public and the government that exists to serve them.
How to Restore Trust in Government
In Bowling Alone, Roger Putnam famously dissected the decline in social capital in America since the 1970s, a development he attributes largely to generational succession, television, and the increasing pressures of time and money. According to Putnam, diminished social capital produces lower institutional trust; this lies at the root of the modern political divide, and makes collective problems harder to resolve.
It's hard to say whether we will ever be able to restore the type of social cohesion that existed in previous eras. But the government can take proactive steps to earn back public trust.
Digital Adoption
How do you engage with your favorite brands? You may go to their website or contact their customer service line. But most likely, you prefer to connect with the good brands through mobile apps, social feeds, email newsletters and chat bots. Today, successful companies make it extremely easy to follow what they are doing, and to find answers to questions.
This streamlined method of communication builds trust. The government has an opportunity to reach citizens in ways they never could have in the past — through social media, mobile apps, email newsletters, and other digital channels.
All branches of government should be leveraging this technology to educate and engage with citizens. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon elected officials and government bureaucrats to be well-versed in social media; the most effective way to expose the myth of a deep state is by underscoring that the people who work in government are just that — people.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, is particularly effective at using social media to engage with her constituents.
Ocasio-Cortez is technically savvy — she understands the appropriate applications of hashtags and GIFs, how to structure posts on each platform, and the best times of day to post to maximize impressions. More importantly, she presents her authentic self on her accounts, which makes it easy for people to relate to her.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez uses Instagram to build a human connection with her followers
On a recent appearance on The Late Show, Ocasio-Cortez described what she taught her fellow Democratic House members about using social media: "I said, rule No.1 is to be authentic, to be yourself and don't try to be anyone that you're not. So don't try to talk like a young kid if you're not a young kid, don't post a meme if you don't know what a meme is. That was literally my advice. And I said don't talk like the Founding fathers on Twitter."
President Trump, to his credit, uses Twitter to forge stronger connections with his base. But he is also reckless in his use of the platform, and ignorant about the weight his words carry. Trump's relationship with Twitter provides a useful case study for future elected officials — it reveals how to use the platform to mobilize support, and also serves as a cautionary tale about the damage that can come from unfettered posting.
Campaign Finance Reform
Uncertainty in the democratic process cripples institutional trust.
In January 2019, Democrats introduced the For the People Act, a bill intended to curb the influence of money in politics. Among other proposed reforms, the bill would mandate automatic voter registration, eliminate partisan gerrymandering, and require Presidents to disclose tax returns.
This is the type of transparency that will foster confidence in our democracy, and promote civic participation.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
"The overwhelming influence of money and special interests is a cancer in our democracy that needs to be removed." — Chairman Jerry Nadler
The bill was passed in the Democratic-led House, but has stalled in the Senate — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) won't even allow for a vote.
Policies that Reduce Social and Economic Inequality
According to the Aspen Institute, rising income inequality in the United States, coupled with reduced economic mobility, has contributed to a lack of institutional trust.
Policies that favor labor over big business — including raising the minimum wage, strengthening collective bargaining rights, and a wealth tax — will, over time, reduce the income gap, and go a long way in restoring public confidence in government.
Why It Matters
The middle of the 21st century will bring unprecedented challenges that will require collective action on a global scale — the type of action that is only possible when citizens have confidence in their government. In order to meet the challenges ahead, including mitigating pandemics, fighting disinformation, adapting to artificial intelligence, and responding to a climate crisis, it is essential that the public perception of government improves.
The solution lies not in doing away with established institutions, but in developing contemporary policies that address the ills that underlie our current social discord, and by modernizing our approach to government.