ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the problem of distrust in Congress by analyzing the character, causes, and consequences of distrust in a comprehensive fashion. It treats distrust in Congress as a general phenomenon but is concerned with how various forms or types of trust define the contours of distrust in Congress and, through Congress, shape the contours of distrust in the political system as a whole. The chapter argues that there are strong ties between distrust in the ability of government to produce and implement policies. It addresses citizen demands and distrust in governmental decision-making processes and decision makers, and that the character and determinants of these ties can be used to explain why distrust in Congress both persists and varies over time. The chapter is concerned with understanding the continuities and discontinuities that characterize the transitions between levels or dimensions of distrust and their significance.
