Distrust, American style : diversity and the crisis of public confidence / Sheila Suess Kennedy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kennedy, Sheila Suess.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Trust--United States.

Trust.

Pluralism--United States.

Pluralism.

Interpersonal relations--United States.

Interpersonal relations.

United States.

Politics, Practical--United States.

Politics, Practical.

Physical Description:

251 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, 2009.

Summary:

In the months and weeks leading up to Barack Obama's historic election as president of the United States, the only thing all Americans seemed to agree on was that the wheels had come off the vehicle of government. The Bush administration had become synonymous with ineptitude and cronyism. America was mired in a costly, unpopular war of choice. Corporate lobbying routinely trumped the people's interests. Science was ignored and climate change denied, even as New Orleans was submerged and natural disasters proliferated. Government officials spouted religious pieties while engaging in brazenly immoral and illegal behaviors. Then the housing bubble burst, the credit markets froze, stocks and 401(k)s tanked, and fears of another Great Depression no longer seemed exaggerated. Is if any wonder that Americans are anxious and distrustful?

In this informative analysis, political scientist Sheila Suess Kennedy examines contending explanations of our conflicted national psyche: some social scientists and critics have made convincing claims that growing diversity and the breakdown of community interaction is the cause of this erosion of trust. Drawing on extensive research, Kennedy concludes that the problem doesn't lie with neighbors who don't look like us or a lack of community spirit but with our inability to rely upon the proper functioning of our governing and social institutions.

The term bailout has suddenly become ubiquitous. What Kennedy recommends is a bailout that will cost nothing and pay very handsome dividends-a bailout of our floundering national institutions. We need to clean up our government and make sure our elected officials honor constitutional values; fix our antiquated electoral systems so that every vote counts; and mend our tattered social safety net. For instance, far from being a socialist plot, national healthcare would improve the overall economy, ease social anxieties, and help ensure America's prosperity.

The task of restoring trust in American ideals and institutions is every bit as vital as rebuilding confidence in our financial markets and foreign policies. Distrust, American Style is a thoughtful analysis of what Americans must do to begin the process of restoring our national psyche.

Contents:

"Trust me," said the spider

Pluralism and the paradigm problem

Distrust, American style

Government : our institutional infrastructure

Betrayal of trust

The trust gap : who trusts, who "turtles," and why?

Being all we can be : three modest proposals.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-246) and index.

ISBN:

9781591027089

159102708X

OCLC:

262889512