Americans' trust in other Americans has been on the decline for decades. Their trust in American institutions such as business and religion is, although sometimes wavering, more resilient. Can our trust in institutions help repair our trust in each other?
References
1.
PaxtonPamela. “Is Social Capital Declining in the United States? A Multiple Indicator Assessment.”American Journal of Sociology105 (1999): 88–127. Documents a decline in trust in individuals and no general decline in trust in institutions.
2.
PaxtonPamela. “Social Capital and Democracy: An Interdependent Relationship.”American Sociological Review67 (2002): 254–77. Social capital (understood in terms of trust and association memberships) affects democracy, and democracy affects social capital.
3.
PutnamRobert D.. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Simon & Schuster, 2002). Explores causes, consequences, and possible solutions for declines in social goods such as trust, volunteering, and civic participation.
4.
RasinskiKenneth A.BerktoldJenniferSmithTom W.AlbertsonBethany L.. “America Recovers: A Follow-up to a National Study of Public Response to the September 11th Terrorist Attacks” (National Opinion Research Center, 2002). Trust in individuals increased immediately following the September 11th terrorist attacks and stayed at the new level for at least six months.
