Photo by Joshua Earle
“Is America collapsing?” Is most likely a question that you hear a lot because of what’s happening in the country today.
According to a recent Pew Research Center study, many Americans perceive a decline in trust in the nation, whether it be in elected officials, the federal government, or amongst themselves. LeRoy Cossette, author of American Insanity, has written a book listing federal abuse laws. This shows people are tired of the unfairness happening to us, and they want to know how to create a fairer society for the world we live in.
Now, let’s take a look and try to understand why people’s trust in the government seems to be spiraling down.
1. Public Trust in the Federal Government Is Going Down the Drain
The public’s perception among Americans is that they have less faith in their fellow citizens and the federal government. 64% of Americans feel that people’s confidence in one another has decreased, and 75% of Americans say that people’s faith in the federal government has been declining.
People provide a wide range of explanations in their written responses when given a different question regarding the reasons why confidence has decreased during the previous 20 years.
36% of those who believe there has been a drop in public trust in the federal government during the past 20 years attribute their concerns to the government’s performance. Some complain that the government spends too much, others say they spend too little, and others say it is either doing nothing or doing wrong.
2. The Government Can’t Solve Things
A majority of respondents, specifically 64%, assert that a lack of confidence in the federal government impedes the resolution of numerous national issues. When asked why this was the case, around four out of ten (39%) respondents mentioned domestic concerns.
These were followed by issues with health care, immigration and border security, racism and racial issues, and weapons and gun violence. Some mention political procedures, including voting rights and gerrymandering, as well as fiscal and tax difficulties.
Another 70% of Americans think that solving problems is more difficult when people don’t trust one another. (They weren’t questioned further to clarify their response.)
With these stats alone, it’s understandable why some think and ask, “Is America collapsing?” Especially if you have a book listing federal abuse laws, like the one LeRoy Cossette has written, to open your eyes. You can’t really blame people for wondering if America is in decline because of everything that’s happening right now.
3. Silver Lining: People Think the Decline in Trust is Recoverable
The majority believe that there is still hope for improving trust. More over eight out of 10 Americans (84%) think that public trust in the government can be increased.
In their written comments, they advocate for various political reforms to address trust issues. These include term limits, greater transparency on government actions, and limitations on the influence wealthy individuals have in politics. 15% of respondents to this question said that improved political leadership was necessary, along with increased cooperation and honesty among members of the political class.
A slightly bigger number of individuals, around 86%, believe that people’s trust in each other can be improved. Local communities can serve as a testing ground for trust-building “laboratories” to combat partisan tensions and not let tribal divisions cause further disconnection.
Some folks even suggest that news outlets and platforms could focus on positive things. Maybe cover a topic wherein a community is cooperating to fix issues instead of always highlighting the bad stuff.
4. Racial and Societal Discrimination Causes Leads to Trust Issues
Compared to other Americans, non-White people, those with lower incomes and education levels, and younger adults exhibit lower levels of personal trust. These discrepancies are evident in how they perceive the fairness or exploitative inclinations of others as well as how helpful or selfish they believe people to be generally. This shows a range of trust levels from the least to the most.
When it comes to these questions, about 22% of adults, or “high trusters,” constantly show a trustworthy attitude. The term “low trusters” refers to the majority of people (35%) who exhibit persistent mistrust or trepidation. About 41% of “medium trusters” have varying opinions about the fundamental questions of personal trust.
Let’s Answer the Question, “Is America Collapsing?” by Fixing It
America, which has long worshipped at the shrine of novelty, is entangled in a radically novel economic environment. Restructuring education to provide more Americans with the skills required to adapt to the emerging needs of the modern economy is the greatest way to start addressing the growing social disparity in our country. That’s the first step toward reorganizing the distinctive social compact of America.
With that, be sure to buy a copy of LeRoy Cosette’s American Insanity, a book listing federal abuse laws, by clicking here. Learn about the shady stuff the government is doing from one of our articles that talks about sci-fi books about government conspiracies!