Congressional Polarization and Political Trust

Eric M. Uslaner

doi:10.1515/for-2015-0034

Article

Congressional Polarization and Political Trust

Eric M. Uslaner
Eric M. Uslaner is Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland–College Park. He is Senior Research Fellow, Center for American Law and Political Science, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China and Honorary Professor of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

Published/Copyright: November 13, 2015

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From the journal The Forum Volume 13 Issue 3

Abstract

Americans have become less trusting of their federal government since the late 1950s. Most accounts of trust in government are based upon the performance of the economy. I argue that two additional factors are essential for understanding the sharp fall in trust in government in recent years: the level of partisan polarization in the Congress (as reflected in the ideological distance between the parties on roll calls) and the inability of Congress to enact legislation (gridlock).

Corresponding author: Eric M. Uslaner, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland – College Park, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Senior Research Fellow, Center for American Law and Political Science Southwest University of Political Science and Law Chongqing, China; and Honorary Professor of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark, e-mail: euslaner@umd.edu

About the author

Eric M. Uslaner

Eric M. Uslaner is Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland–College Park. He is Senior Research Fellow, Center for American Law and Political Science, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China and Honorary Professor of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

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Published Online: 2015-11-13

Published in Print: 2015-10-1

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https://doi.org/10.1515/for-2015-0034