WHY DO WE DISLIKE OUR GOVERNMENT SO MUCH? WHAT IS BEING DONE TO RESTORE TRUST?
Citizens in many countries view their government with despair. Their government takes a big chunk of their hard earned income in income taxes, sales taxes and licensing fees. Many citizens experience a huge bureaucracy whose service is bad, where there are long delays, and where there is no recourse to alternative suppliers. Governments pass a lot of regulations that limit business freedom and raise business costs. Consider the money that businesses have to pay to reduce pollution, to make food safer, to renew licenses. Add to this a deep anti-government ranting by critics who excoriate government at every opportunity. The average U.S. citizen will hear much more excoriation of government than praise, leaving many citizens with the feeling that government is too big, wasteful, and inefficient.
WORTH READING:
- Poll: 1 In 5 Americans Trusts The Government [NPR]
- The Long Decline of Trust in Government, and Why That Can Be Patriotic [The New York Times]
- Americans don’t trust government. But they still want government to do a lot. [ The Washington Post]
- CNN Poll: Trust in government at all-time low [CNN]
- Public Trust in Government: 1958-2015 [Pew Research Center]
- Public Trust in Government: 1958-2014 [Pew Research Center]
- 6 key takeaways about how Americans view their government [Pew Research Center]
- Beyond Distrust: How Americans View Their Government [Pew Research Center]
- In politics, most Americans feel they’re on the losing side [Pew Research Center]
Recent Comments