Title Congress and the Decline of Public Trust

Published Boulder : Routledge, 2018

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Description 1 online resource (253 pages) Series Transforming American Politics Transforming American politics. Contents Cover; Half Title; Title; Copyright; Contents; List of Tables and Figures; Foreword: Trust and Democracy: Causes and Consequences of Mistrust in Government; Acknowledgments; 1 The Puzzle of Distrust; 2 Insiders with a Crisis from Outside: Congress and the Public Trust; 3 Appreciating Congress; 4 Congress and Public Trust: Is Congress Its Own Worst Enemy?; 5 How Good People Make Bad Collectives: A Social-Psychological Perspective on Public Attitudes Toward Congress; 6 Congress, Public Trust, and Education; 7 Performance and Expectations in American Politics: The Problem of Distrust in Congress Epilogue: The Clinton Impeachment Controversy and Public TrustAppendix: Trends in Public Trusty 1952-1998; About the Editor and Contributors; Index Summary Since the time of Watergate and Vietnam, trust in government has fallen precipitously. This can easily be sensed in the apathy and divisiveness that now characterize American politics, but it is perhaps most clearly revealed in poll data. The great majority of Americans do not trust the government?to do what's right all or most of the time?. Nor do they believe that government is run for?the benefit of all? rather than for?a few big interests?. The nine essays in this volume detail the present character of distrust, analyze its causes, assess the dangers it poses for the future of representative government in the United States, and suggest remedies. The focus of the analysis is on Congress because of its pivotal role in representative government in the United States. The authors also examine patterns of trust in societal institutions and trust in the Presidency, especially in light of the Clinton impeachment controversy. Because the causes and effects of distrust are complex and pervasive, the individual chapters highlight many of the defining features and issues of contemporary American politics. These include the emergence of a politics that is far more ideological, candidate centered, and captive to interest groups, the changing character and enhanced importance of the media, the mounting costs of campaigns, the contradictions in public attitudes toward political leaders and processes, the causes and consequences of public misconceptions of democratic politics, and the need for reform in campaign finance, media practices, and civic education Notes Print version record Subject Representative government and representation -- United States -- Public opinion Public opinion -- United States Trust -- United States Public opinion. Representative government and representation -- Public opinion Trust. Het Congres Politiek vertrouwen Öffentliche Meinung Régime représentatif -- États-Unis -- Opinion publique Opinion publique -- États-Unis Opinião pública -- Estados Unidos Truste -- Estados Unidos Political science -- Government -- Legislative Branch Public Opinion Public opinion Representative government and representation -- Public opinion Trust United States Form Electronic book ISBN 9780429981043 042998104X

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