ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the consideration of the Emperor’s New Clothes story and its implications for the lack of trust in politicians today. Trust in government has been viewed as social capital, which promotes people’s political involvement among other forms of civic activities. The chapter reviews psychological research, as well as other sources, regarding the factors that affect citizens’ trust in politicians and government and the consequences of that trust. Indeed, politicians engage in an exaggerated form of faking positivity in order to please others and attain approval. One way of undermining those effects is for the politician to present their communication as contrary to their self-interest – even compatible with the views of their opponents. The chapter also reviews the research supporting the conclusion that some trust in government is essential for democracies and that trust is affected by international issues, economic issues, and political scandals.
