The Growing Divide Between Citizens and Government

In Nothing We Trust - Ron Fournier and Sophie Quinton
“When people trust their institutions, they’re better able to solve common problems. Research shows that school principals are much more likely to turn around struggling schools in places where people have a history of working together and getting involved in their children’s education. Communities bonded by friendships formed at church are more likely to vote, volunteer, and perform everyday good deeds like helping someone find a job. And governments find it easier to persuade the public to make sacrifices for the common good when people trust that their political leaders have the community’s best interests at heart. “Institutions—even dysfunctional ones—are why we don’t run amok in the woods,” Hansen says.”

Comment: When asked what I believe to be the single greatest problem facing our nation I reply, “The public’s loss of confidence in our own government and in the institutions that should be working on our behalf.” Corruption in government, religious institutions, our schools, sports, etc. erode our confidence in our culture, our society, and perhaps even in ourselves. Each of us individually and all of us collectively must hold our officials across these institutions accountable. We must demand it. Only when a people stands up for itself can it truly achieve and enjoy freedom, opportunity, and the prospect of a better tomorrow. Relying on institutions to do this for us can only lead to mediocrity, lethargy, and collapse. A tale of warning, perhaps, but one that should inspire us to action! See this story for more: America's Crisis of Character.