Thanksgiving With a Side of Public Distrust Americans may be thankful at home but are unhappier than ever with Washington. By William A. Galston
http://www.wsj.com/articles/thanksgiving-with-a-side-of-public-distrust-1448405898
On the eve of Thanksgiving, Americans are not in a particularly thankful mood. That’s the conclusion I draw from the latest Pew Research center study of our attitude toward government.
Trust in government is near historic lows. Yet our expectations from government are very high. Diminished trust and elevated hope yield the dominant sentiment of this presidential election year—not anger, but rather profound frustration.
The research I’ve just summarized applies to both political parties. It isn’t exactly news that Democrats see a major role for government in most areas. But so do majorities of Republicans in 10 of the 13 areas covered in Pew’s study. Nor is it news that 57% of Republicans are frustrated with government. But so are 59% of Democrats.
Americans are critical of their elected officials. Only 23% say that our leaders care what people like me think; only 22% see these officials as putting the country’s interests ahead of their own; only 19% think that they try hard to stay in touch with the voters. Overall, Americans regard their elected officials as intelligent but selfish and dishonest.
That may be why 55% of Americans say they could do a better job solving the country’s problems than the people they elected to do that job, even though 56% believe that most big issues facing the country lack clear solutions. People with the least education, a high-school diploma or less, are most likely to express confidence that they could do better than their representatives in Washington.
Public disapproval of political parties has risen as well. Fifty-nine percent of Americans say that the Republican Party is too willing to cut government programs, even when they work. The same percentage also say that the Democratic Party too often sees government as the only way to solve problems. Not surprisingly, the share of Americans expressing disapproval of both political parties has quadrupled since 2002 and now stands at 24%.
But the public is doing more than looking for individuals and institutions to blame. In 2015 Americans are not only critical, but also self-critical. As recently as 2007, 57% expressed confidence in the wisdom of the people when it comes to making political decisions. Today, only 34% do. And the loss of self-confidence is almost identical between Republicans and Democrats.
There’s another convergence across the partisan divide: On the issues that matter most to them in politics, both sides see themselves as losing more than winning. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans think they are drawing the short straw. But so do 52% of Democrats, despite historic liberal victories on matters ranging from health insurance to same-sex marriage. These sentiments may help explain the rise of Bernie Sanders as well as Donald Trump.
This oddly shared sense of victimization goes hand-in-hand with deep partisan divisions. Fifty percent of Democrats regard government as their friend, compared with only 21% of Republicans. Seventy-one percent of Republicans think government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals, versus 29% of Democrats. Eighty percent of Republicans want a smaller government providing fewer services; only 31% of Democrats agree.
Sixty percent of Republicans attribute America’s success to its principles; 66% of Democrats say that our country’s ability to change is more responsible. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans like elected officials who stick to their positions; 60% of Democrats prefer leaders who make compromises. When it comes to the conduct of politics, it seems, Democrats are from Venus, Republicans from Mars.
On one key point there is emphatic agreement: Seventy-nine percent of Americans see their country as more politically divided than in the past. (In January 2009, 46% did.) Only 15% expect these divisions to diminish over the next five years. Polarization may help explain why only 45% of Americans express a lot of confidence in their country’s future.
The people haven’t entirely given up hope. Despite their frustration and lack of trust, 50% believe that ordinary citizens can influence government if they make the effort, and 58% agree that the most traditional way of doing so—casting their vote—gives them some say in government. People who believe in their own political efficacy are significantly more likely to report confidence in the future.
After the buoyant optimism of the 1990s, the 21st century has come as a deep disappointment. When I look at the state of our country and of the world, I find it hard to maintain a positive outlook.
That’s why, this holiday, I’m lowering my gaze to take in the nearest things. When I stare, endlessly mesmerized, at the pictures of my grandsons, my soul swells with joy, and I am freed to imagine a better future.
That’s what I’m giving thanks for this Thanksgiving. I doubt that I’ll be alone.
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