Governing in an Age of Distrust
Governing in an Age of Distrust

Author: James Weinberg

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2024-02-28

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0198900740

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Despite the existence of a large literature on themes relating to trust and distrust in politics, there has been no sustained research that directly engages with the primary objects of trust: politicians. This is an intriguing blind spot in political science that leaves us without any understanding of how politicians appraise a contemporary climate of extreme or generalised distrust or indeed how the existence of a low-trust/high-blame environment affects their decision-making and the quality of public governance. Governing in an Age of Distrust tackles this important gap head on by asking not only whether the public trusts in politicians, but also whether politicians accurately perceive and act upon the trust placed in them. In doing so, Weinberg draws on unique survey and interview data gathered from nationally and locally elected politicians in different countries that have faced a crisis of political trust in recent decades - principally the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Africa. The work identifies different types of 'political trustees' and subsequently analyses the relationship between perceptions of trust and a variety of outcomes such as politicians' blame avoidance behaviour and personal wellbeing. Taking a new and innovative approach to research on trust and elite political behaviour, the author tackles questions that are arguably of paramount importance if we are to understand when, why, and how politicians do or do not deliver on the promise of democracy.

Governing in an Age of Distrust
Governing in an Age of Distrust

Author: James Weinberg

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2023-11-28

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0198900759

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Despite the existence of a large literature on themes relating to trust and distrust in politics, there has been no sustained research that directly engages with the primary objects of trust: politicians. This is an intriguing blind spot in political science that leaves us without any understanding of how politicians appraise a contemporary climate of extreme or generalised distrust or indeed how the existence of a low-trust/high-blame environment affects their decision-making and the quality of public governance. Governing in an Age of Distrust tackles this important gap head on by asking not only whether the public trusts in politicians, but also whether politicians accurately perceive and act upon the trust placed in them. In doing so, Weinberg draws on unique survey and interview data gathered from nationally and locally elected politicians in different countries that have faced a crisis of political trust in recent decades - principally the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Africa. The work identifies different types of 'political trustees' and subsequently analyses the relationship between perceptions of trust and a variety of outcomes such as politicians' blame avoidance behaviour and personal wellbeing. Taking a new and innovative approach to research on trust and elite political behaviour, the author tackles questions that are arguably of paramount importance if we are to understand when, why, and how politicians do or do not deliver on the promise of democracy.

Trust in a Polarized Age
Trust in a Polarized Age

Author: Kevin Vallier

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2020-10-21

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 0190887222

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Americans today don't trust each other and their institutions as much as they once did, fueling destructive ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. In Trust in a Polarized Age, political philosopher Kevin Vallier argues that to build social trust and reduce polarization, we must strengthen liberal democratic institutions--high-quality governance, procedural fairness, markets, social welfare programs, freedom of association, and democracy. Theseinstitutions not only create trust, they do so justly, by recognizing and respecting our basic rights.

Can Governments Earn Our Trust?
Can Governments Earn Our Trust?

Author: Donald F. Kettl

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2017-08-07

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 1509522492

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Some analysts have called distrust the biggest governmental crisis of our time. It is unquestionably a huge problem, undermining confidence in our elected institutions, shrinking social capital, slowing innovation, and raising existential questions for democratic government itself. What’s behind the rising distrust in democracies around the world and can we do anything about it? In this lively and thought-provoking essay, Donald F. Kettl, a leading scholar of public policy and management, investigates the deep historical roots of distrust in government, exploring its effects on the social contract between citizens and their elected representatives. Most importantly, the book examines the strategies that present-day governments can follow to earn back our trust, so that the officials we elect can govern more effectively on our behalf.

Counter-Democracy
Counter-Democracy

Author: Pierre Rosanvallon

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2008-11-20

Total Pages: 347

ISBN-13: 1139474715

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Democracy is established as a generally uncontested ideal, while regimes inspired by this form of government fall under constant criticism. Hence, the steady erosion of confidence in representatives that has become one of the major political issues of our time. Amidst these challenges, the paradox remains that while citizens are less likely to make the trip to the ballot box, the world is far from entering a phase of general political apathy. Demonstrations and activism abound in the streets, in cities across the globe and on the internet. Pierre Rosanvallon analyses the mechanisms used to register a citizen's expression of confidence or distrust, and then focuses on the role that distrust plays in democracy from both a historical and theoretical perspective. This radical shift in perspective uncovers a series of practices - surveillance, prevention, and judgement - through which society corrects and exerts pressure.

Living in an Age of Mistrust
Living in an Age of Mistrust

Author: Andrew I. Yeo

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-20

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 135173654X

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Trust is a concept familiar to most. Whether we are cognizant of it or not, we experience it on a daily basis. Yet trust is quickly eroding in civic and political life. Americans’ trust in their government has reached all-time lows. The political and social consequences of this decline in trust are profound. What are the foundations of trust? What explains its apparent decline in society? Is there a way forward for rebuilding trust in our leaders and institutions? How should we study the role of trust across a diverse range of policy issues and problems? Given its complexity, trust as an object of study cannot be claimed by any single discipline. Rather than vouch for an overarching theory of trust, Living in an Age of Mistrust synthesizes existing perspectives across multiple disciplines to offer a truly comprehensive examination of this concept and a topic of research. Using an analytical framework that encompasses rational and cultural (or sociological) dimensions of trust, the contributions found therein provide a wide range of policy issues both domestic and international to explore the apparent decline in trust, its impact on social and political life, and efforts to rebuild trust.

A Necessary Evil
A Necessary Evil

Author: Garry Wills

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-05-28

Total Pages: 372

ISBN-13: 1439128790

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In A Necessary Evil, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills shows that distrust of government is embedded deep in the American psyche. From the revolt of the colonies against king and parliament to present-day tax revolts, militia movements, and debates about term limits, Wills shows that American antigovernment sentiment is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of our history. By debunking some of our fondest myths about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and the taming of the frontier, Wills shows us how our tendency to hold our elected government in disdain is misguided.

At War with Government
At War with Government

Author: Amy Fried

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2021-08-03

Total Pages: 506

ISBN-13: 023155124X

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Polling shows that since the 1950s Americans’ trust in government has fallen dramatically to historically low levels. In At War with Government, the political scientists Amy Fried and Douglas B. Harris reveal that this trend is no accident. Although distrust of authority is deeply rooted in American culture, it is fueled by conservative elites who benefit from it. Since the postwar era conservative leaders have deliberately and strategically undermined faith in the political system for partisan aims. Fried and Harris detail how conservatives have sown distrust to build organizations, win elections, shift power toward institutions that they control, and secure policy victories. They trace this strategy from the Nixon and Reagan years through Gingrich’s Contract with America, the Tea Party, and Donald Trump’s rise and presidency. Conservatives have promoted a political identity opposed to domestic state action, used racial messages to undermine unity, and cultivated cynicism to build and bolster coalitions. Once in power, they have defunded public services unless they help their constituencies and rolled back regulations, perversely proving the failure of government. Fried and Harris draw on archival sources to document how conservative elites have strategized behind the scenes. With a powerful diagnosis of our polarized era, At War with Government also proposes how we might rebuild trust in government by countering the strategies conservatives have used to weaken it.

Who Can You Trust?
Who Can You Trust?

Author: Rachel Botsman

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 2017-11-14

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 1541773683

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If you can't trust those in charge, who can you trust? From government to business, banks to media, trust in institutions is at an all-time low. But this isn't the age of distrust -- far from it. In this revolutionary book, world-renowned trust expert Rachel Botsman reveals that we are at the tipping point of one of the biggest social transformations in human history -- with fundamental consequences for everyone. A new world order is emerging: we might have lost faith in institutions and leaders, but millions of people rent their homes to total strangers, exchange digital currencies, or find themselves trusting a bot. This is the age of "distributed trust," a paradigm shift driven by innovative technologies that are rewriting the rules of an all-too-human relationship. If we are to benefit from this radical shift, we must understand the mechanics of how trust is built, managed, lost, and repaired in the digital age. In the first book to explain this new world, Botsman provides a detailed map of this uncharted landscape -- and explores what's next for humanity.

Counter-democracy
Counter-democracy

Author: Pierre Rosanvallon

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 9780511464393

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Democracy is established as a generally uncontested ideal, while regimes inspired by this form of government fall under constant criticism. Hence, the steady erosion of confidence in representatives that has become one of the major political issues of our time. Amidst these challenges, the paradox remains that while citizens are less likely to make the trip to the ballot box, the world is far from entering a phase of general political apathy. Demonstrations and activism abound in the streets, in cities across the globe and on the internet. Pierre Rosanvallon analyses the mechanisms used to register a citizen's expression of confidence or distrust, and then focuses on the role that distrust plays in democracy from both a historical and theoretical perspective. This radical shift in perspective uncovers a series of practices - surveillance, prevention, and judgement - through which society corrects and exerts pressure.