WTH Has Trust in American Institutions Collapsed? Gerry Baker Explains

Gallup, Pew, and other reputable polling institutes have been
lock-step in reporting the precipitous decline of American trust
in the country’s institutions over the past few years. Every
survey examining public faith in our institutions to do what is
right, to provide for the common good, or to simply function at
all has hit rock bottom. Surprising? Not really – these dropping
percentage points coincide with upticks in intense partisanship,
erosion in our political process, and culture wars. And this is
not, as the media would portray it, solely an income inequality
issue; social mobility and opportunity issues yes, but the
biggest factor in this mistrust is the widening cultural gap
between the new elites, and the rest of the US’ population. What
can be done? It is imperative that students are educated in
civics and history and maintain a respect for the institutions
that are meant to provide for them. And most importantly, it is
high time for real leaders to step up, recognize and fix these
corrosive problems.


Download the transcript here.