Essential trust: How to rebuild trust in America

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Studies show a majority of Americans believe other Americans mostly look out for themselves.

The nation has experienced that kind of trust recession before—one low point: the turn of the 20th century.

“There are deep parallels, deep, deep parallels between America in today, 2020. We’re very unequal. They were very unequal. We’re very self-centered,” Robert Putnam says.

“They were very self-centered. We’re very polarized. They were very polarized. And we’re very untrusting and they were very untrusting.”

So how did Americans rebuild trust then?

“It wasn’t a policy change. It was a change in the views that ordinary Americans have about the duties they owe to other people,” Robert Putnam says.

Can we replicate that change today?

Today, On Point: Trust is on the decline. Can it be rebuilt? It’s the final episode in our series Essential trust.

Guests

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

, professor of public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy.” Also author of “” and “.” ()