The Authority of the Modern State and Trust in Public and Social Institutions

Authority and trust are essential for the modern democratic state. While the American system of government is predicated upon institutionalized distrust of power, a fundamental critique of government has undermined the authority of and the trust in American political and social institutions, according to many observers. At the same time, the state has withdrawn from social responsibilities for urban ghettos and disadvantaged groups who often experience state authorities as agents of repression, as recent protests against police brutality against minorities bear out. 

The decline of trust and authority is not limited to state institutions but extends to political parties, the media, educational and economic institutions, and to scientific experts. Indeed, there appears to be a broad-based process of “de-authorization” that affects all established institutions. The crisis of authority and trust has also raised doubts about U.S. leadership in world politics and the global economy among America’s partners, clients, and rivals. Research questions may relate to the ability of the United States to create legitimacy and compliance for its international actions and to the domestic sources of authority and trust which influence American leadership in the world.