COVID-19 and the Trust Deficit
Years of polling in the United States and Europe show that public confidence in institutions has been falling, fueling partisan polarization and political paralysis. But now that the COVID-19 pandemic has left us with no choice but to rely on our institutions, the question of whether trust can be restored has become paramount.
PALO ALTO/MILAN – With the world in the grip of a deadly, disruptive pandemic, it should be obvious that scientific, medical, economic, political, and other varieties of expertise are crucial to addressing the attendant health, economic, and psychological effects. Unfortunately, what should be obvious is not.