ABSTRACT
The chapters that follow explore how cynicism has been cultivated in different spheres of American life. This chapter looks at the changing nature of political discourse from the New Deal to the present, considering the words and actions of presidents and leaders along the path from a government of, for and by the people to one that seems increasingly intent on ignoring the masses in service of the chosen few. If Spock were a representative of the Republican Party today, he would likely tell Kirk, as he threw him and the rest of the crew into the core of the Starship Enterprise to save himself at the end of The Wrath of Khan, “the needs of the few and the one far outweigh the needs of the many.” How were so many Americans convinced that this sentiment makes sense? The chapter argues declining faith in government and the other social institutions that form the fabric of a healthy society play a central role.
