[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E353-E354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DISTRUST IN GOVERNMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 11, 1998

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday,

[[Page E354]]

March 11, 1998 into the Congressional Record.

                         Distrust In Government

       One of the major changes in American politics over the 
     years has been the erosion of public trust in government. In 
     the mid-1960s, three-quarters of Americans said they trusted 
     the federal government to do the right thing most of the 
     time. In recent years, that number has generally been closer 
     to one-fourth to one-third. Public trust in state and local 
     governments is not much higher, and we have seen similar 
     declines in confidence in other countries around the world.
       This devaluation of government and politics is clearly 
     worrisome, and it makes it all the more difficult for the 
     federal government to carry out its important 
     responsibilities as we enter the 21st century. Thus increased 
     attention has been given lately to the question of why 
     Americans have declining confidence in the federal 
     government. The reasons for the decline are several.
       Declining trust generally: Part of the decline reflects a 
     broader drop in confidence in authority and institutions 
     generally, as many see declining respect for authority a 
     feature of current culture. Trust in all institutions took a 
     big hit from Vietnam and Watergate, and the sharpest drops in 
     public confidence in government occurred during that time.
       Changing economy: Americans have less confidence in 
     government as the U.S. economy has changed--as workers feel 
     the threat of globalization and technology and as little 
     progress is made on income inequality and wage growth for 
     middle-class workers. People feel high anxiety and a loss of 
     control over their own lives. To them government seems less 
     relevant and not particularly helpful with their difficult 
     work transitions and their burdensome education, health care, 
     and retirement costs.
       Too much corruption: People are concerned about corruption 
     and low ethical standards among government officials. They 
     believe that many are dishonest and controlled by special 
     interests. In a recent poll, only 18% of Americans thought 
     their own representative has not traded votes for campaign 
     contributions. People will often say it takes new Members of 
     Congress only a few months to become corrupted by the system.
       Poor leadership: A common theme is that public officials 
     are just looking out for themselves, pursuing their own 
     agendas and advancing their own personal power rather than 
     providing leadership and representing constituents. Americans 
     think that one of the best ways to improve public confidence 
     in government is to find more responsive political leaders.
       Too political: There is widespread belief that the 
     political system has become too political. By a sizeable 
     margin people feel that politics prevents government from 
     serving the people well.
       Messy process: The public doesn't approve of the slow, 
     often contentious nature of the legislative process. Studies 
     have shown that public confidence in legislatures generally 
     goes down after the proceedings are opened up through 
     television and other means, even for legislatures that had 
     greatly improved their operations and performance compared to 
     when they operated behind closed doors. Institutions that are 
     the most public are often the least liked.
       Government waste: Another major complaint, and one that I 
     hear all the time, is that the federal government has become 
     too big, too wasteful, too inefficient. In recent polls, 80% 
     of Americans stated they believe that government is 
     inefficient and wastes tax dollars. Often in public meetings 
     constituents will tell me that fifty cents of every dollar 
     going to Washington is wasted.
       Too intrusive: Many people believe that government tries to 
     do too much and interferes with their lives. They often tell 
     me to ``Get government off my back.'' Almost half of 
     Americans perceive government as an obstacle rather than a 
     helping hand to achieving the American dream.
       Weak performance: Large numbers of Americans don't think 
     government has much of an impact on their daily lives. 
     Recently when people were asked to name two or three of the 
     most important successes of the federal government over the 
     past thirty years, 42% of Americans couldn't volunteer even 
     one.
       Media: The more cynical, more adversarial approach of the 
     media today is often cited as one of the biggest factors in 
     the dramatic drop in Americans' trust in government. Since 
     the 1960s, newspaper and television coverage has become 
     much more negative and more focused on conflict than 
     substance. That clearly has taken a toll.
       Some of these factors can't be easily changed, such as the 
     negative tone of the media or the broad decline in confidence 
     in all institutions. Yet there is still reason for hope. The 
     good news is that many of the factors that can be controlled 
     by political leaders can go a long way toward helping to 
     restore confidence in government. Most notably, as Congress 
     in recent years has taken the tough steps to reduce the 
     deficit in order to boost the U.S. economy and has balanced 
     the federal budget--a problem that has plagued policymakers 
     for decades--public confidence in the institution has risen 
     significantly.
       There are many things that politicians can do to bolster 
     trust in government. Among them: First, we need to streamline 
     the operations of government--making it more responsive, 
     accessible, and workable. Second, we need to tackle the big 
     issues and deal with things that really concern people, such 
     as improving education and shoring up the long-term outlook 
     for Social Security and Medicare. Third, we need to correct 
     public misperceptions about government, explaining better how 
     it works and what it does. For example, Americans frequently 
     complain about the large amount of money going for foreign 
     aid, which they think is around 20% of the total federal 
     budget and say should be closer to 10%, but is actually only 
     1% of the federal budget. Fourth, we need to improve the 
     public's understanding of the impact of government on their 
     lives every day. Support for the federal government improves 
     considerably when people are informed about the government's 
     role in improving health care for seniors, ensuring food 
     safety, discovering medical cures, and creating the Internet.
       Despite their often low confidence in government, large 
     numbers of Americans still say they want to see an effective 
     government that helps them and their family, and they believe 
     this is an achievable goal. And they want more information 
     about how Congress works and how it connects to their lives. 
     So the opportunity for improving the way Americans look at 
     their government is clearly there.

     

                          ____________________