Our Nation's Trust Deficit
Robert Wechsler
The federal government's trust deficit today is in worse shape than our federal
budget and current account deficits. Government leaders better jump on the government ethics bandwagon quick, or there could be a serious trust crisis. Here's the
latest new from the Harris Polls:
- Four in five adult Americans agree that the federal government
needs better moral leadership, with 59 percent strongly agreeing with
that sentiment. These feelings are not limited to adults. Two-thirds of
teens, 13 – 17 years old (68%) also agree that the federal government
needs better moral leadership;
- Over half of adults (57%) and a similar number of teens (58%)
believe that most politicians would take a bribe if they could get away
with it.
- Almost three in five adults (58%) believe that most politicians are not honest, a feeling shared by 57 percent of teens. Just one in five adults (19%) and one in ten teens (10%) believe most politicians are honest.