The United States federal government is in the midst of a crisis of public trust. Surveys show that, no matter how you measure it, Americans’ trust in their government is at an all-time low and has been falling like a rock for decades. It is important to note that this isn’t a trust crisis so much as a credibility crisis. If Americans have lost faith in their federal government, it’s because that government has been unfaithful. Credibility is a scarce and finite resource, and the government has spent the last few years burning through its stockpile like there’s no tomorrow.
At the end of the day, credibility is all about keeping your promises, and the United States federal government is not particularly scrupulous about keeping its word. Just this last Friday, it had to be told by a judge—for a second time—that reneging on a contract after 30 years is, in fact, illegal.