Congress and the decline of public trust
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Congress and the decline of public trust
（Transforming American politics series）
Westview Press, 1999
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
ISBN 9780813368375
Description
A perceptive look at the causes and dangers of the deep sense of distrust that now characterizes public attitudes toward politics and politicians.. Since the late 1960s, trust in government has fallen precipitously. The nine essays comprising this volume detail the present character of distrust, analyze its causes, assess the dangers it poses, and suggest remedies. The focus is on trust in the Congress. The authors also examine patterns of trust in societal institutions generally and trust in the Presidency, especially in light of the Clinton impeachment controversy. Among the themes the book highlights are the impacts of present patterns of politics, the consequences of public misunderstanding of democratic politics, the significance of poll data, and the need for reform in campaign finance, media practices, and civic education. 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 whats 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.
Table of Contents
- The Puzzle of Distrust
- (Joseph Cooper)
- Insiders with a Crisis from Outside: Congress and the Public Trust
- (David M. Shribman)
- Appreciating Congress
- (John R. Hibbing)
- Congress and Public Trust: Is Congress Its Own Worst Enemy?
- (Roger H. Davidson)
- How Good People Make Bad Collectives: A Social-Psychological Perspective on Public Attitudes Toward Congress
- (Diana C. Mutz and Gregory Flemming)
- Congress, Public Trust, and Education
- (Mary Hepburn and Charles S. Bullock III)
- Performance and Expectations in American Politics: The Problem of Distrust in Congress
- (Joseph Cooper)
- Epilogue: The Clinton Impeachment Controversy and Public Trust
- Joseph Cooper).
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9780813368382
Description
Since the late 1960s, trust in government has fallen precipitously. The nine essays composing this volume detail the present character of distrust, analyze its causes, assess the dangers it poses, and suggest remedies. The focus is on trust in the Congress. The contributors also examine patterns of trust in societal institutions and the presidency, especially in light of the Clinton impeachment controversy. Among the themes the book highlights are the impacts of present patterns of politics, the consequences of public misunderstanding of democratic politics, the significance of poll data, and the need for reform in campaign finance, media practices, and civic education.
Table of Contents
Foreword: Trust and Democracy -- The Puzzle of Distrust -- Insiders with a Crisis from Outside -- Appreciating Congress -- Congress and Public Trust -- How Good People Make Bad Collectives -- Congress, Public Trust, and Education -- Performance and Expectations in American Politics -- Epilogue -- Trends in Public Trust: 1952-1998
by "Nielsen BookData"
