This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/us/coronavirus-government-trust.html
The article has changed 27 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Will the Coronavirus Kill What’s Left of Americans’ Faith in Washington? | Will the Coronavirus Kill What’s Left of Americans’ Faith in Washington? |
| (3 days later) | |
| Patricia Millner, a nurse in Hershey, Pa., was born the year Dwight D. Eisenhower was re-elected. The economy was booming, and trust was high: When national pollsters began asking the question two years later, about three-quarters of Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing. | Patricia Millner, a nurse in Hershey, Pa., was born the year Dwight D. Eisenhower was re-elected. The economy was booming, and trust was high: When national pollsters began asking the question two years later, about three-quarters of Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing. |
| A lot has changed since then. Vietnam happened, then Watergate. During the 2008 financial crisis, Ms. Millner watched banks get bailed out while people lost their homes. Now there is a pandemic and exploding unemployment, and as she sees it, the government is once again looking out for the wealthy, while everyone else is left to fend for themselves. | A lot has changed since then. Vietnam happened, then Watergate. During the 2008 financial crisis, Ms. Millner watched banks get bailed out while people lost their homes. Now there is a pandemic and exploding unemployment, and as she sees it, the government is once again looking out for the wealthy, while everyone else is left to fend for themselves. |
| “Every time I see a commercial on TV that says we are all in this together, my blood boils,” Ms. Millner said. “We are not in this together! The upper middle class is fine. But two-thirds of this country is going down the drain.” | “Every time I see a commercial on TV that says we are all in this together, my blood boils,” Ms. Millner said. “We are not in this together! The upper middle class is fine. But two-thirds of this country is going down the drain.” |
| Long before the coronavirus crisis, another one was brewing: a slow but steady decline in how many Americans trust the federal government. That number has been declining for decades, through Democratic and Republican administrations. And in 2019, it reached one of the lowest points since the measure began: Just 17 percent of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing “just about always” or “most of the time,” according to the Pew Research Center. | Long before the coronavirus crisis, another one was brewing: a slow but steady decline in how many Americans trust the federal government. That number has been declining for decades, through Democratic and Republican administrations. And in 2019, it reached one of the lowest points since the measure began: Just 17 percent of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing “just about always” or “most of the time,” according to the Pew Research Center. |
| The lack of trust in Washington does not necessarily mean that people do not want any government. Polls consistently show much more faith in local government, and some governors are currently enjoying high marks for their handling of the pandemic. | The lack of trust in Washington does not necessarily mean that people do not want any government. Polls consistently show much more faith in local government, and some governors are currently enjoying high marks for their handling of the pandemic. |
| Even so, in a week of more than 20 interviews, Americans said that the government in Washington was not rising to meet the challenge of the virus. | Even so, in a week of more than 20 interviews, Americans said that the government in Washington was not rising to meet the challenge of the virus. |
| Many noted that corporations seemed to be getting the lion’s share of federal relief money, while small businesses suffered. They expressed bafflement that people had been asked to stay home and sacrifice, but were then not given enough financial support to do so. Some said it made no sense for entire states to be locked down when some places within were affected far more than others. | Many noted that corporations seemed to be getting the lion’s share of federal relief money, while small businesses suffered. They expressed bafflement that people had been asked to stay home and sacrifice, but were then not given enough financial support to do so. Some said it made no sense for entire states to be locked down when some places within were affected far more than others. |
| The country is in the midst of one of the largest government relief efforts in recent history. Many people said they had received money, but that it had not done much to fix their broader finances, like rent and mortgage payments. | The country is in the midst of one of the largest government relief efforts in recent history. Many people said they had received money, but that it had not done much to fix their broader finances, like rent and mortgage payments. |
| And while the answers did follow a partisan pattern — Democrats tended to be more skeptical than Republicans of Washington right now because they disapprove of President Trump — Americans also expressed a deeper dissatisfaction that has been building for years. | And while the answers did follow a partisan pattern — Democrats tended to be more skeptical than Republicans of Washington right now because they disapprove of President Trump — Americans also expressed a deeper dissatisfaction that has been building for years. |
| “I don’t trust these people, I don’t believe them,” said Curtis Devlin, 42, an Iraq War veteran who lives in California, referring to national political leaders of both parties. “The people whose interests they represent are donors, power brokers, the parties.” | “I don’t trust these people, I don’t believe them,” said Curtis Devlin, 42, an Iraq War veteran who lives in California, referring to national political leaders of both parties. “The people whose interests they represent are donors, power brokers, the parties.” |
| Moments of national crisis tend to build solidarity and boost faith in government. Trust reached its highest point in recent history immediately after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But it started falling again after the invasion of Iraq, through Barack Obama’s presidency and now that of Donald J. Trump. Since 2008, it has not risen above 25 percent. | Moments of national crisis tend to build solidarity and boost faith in government. Trust reached its highest point in recent history immediately after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But it started falling again after the invasion of Iraq, through Barack Obama’s presidency and now that of Donald J. Trump. Since 2008, it has not risen above 25 percent. |
| Mr. Devlin dates his disillusionment to his time in Iraq. He was in law school when the United States invaded the country. He wanted to do something that mattered, and his leaders in Washington described the war as necessary and moral. | Mr. Devlin dates his disillusionment to his time in Iraq. He was in law school when the United States invaded the country. He wanted to do something that mattered, and his leaders in Washington described the war as necessary and moral. |
| So, at 28, he joined the military as a JAG Corps officer. | So, at 28, he joined the military as a JAG Corps officer. |
| “In my imagination, I was writing a constitution and being involved in helping a country from scratch,” he said. | “In my imagination, I was writing a constitution and being involved in helping a country from scratch,” he said. |
| Instead, his job required him to fashion legal arguments to justify killing. “It changed me,” he said. | Instead, his job required him to fashion legal arguments to justify killing. “It changed me,” he said. |
| Mr. Devlin added, “These ideas with which I so fiercely identified turned out to be wrong,” he said. “Truth, justice and the American way. That there were good guys, and they were us.” | Mr. Devlin added, “These ideas with which I so fiercely identified turned out to be wrong,” he said. “Truth, justice and the American way. That there were good guys, and they were us.” |
| The experience made him extremely skeptical of the people in charge of this country, a feeling that has influenced the way he sees the response to the pandemic. The federal government has not been great, he said, but state governments have not been either, unfairly applying what he saw as overly broad stay-at-home restrictions. That amounts to leaders failing to treat citizens’ sacrifices respectfully, he said. | The experience made him extremely skeptical of the people in charge of this country, a feeling that has influenced the way he sees the response to the pandemic. The federal government has not been great, he said, but state governments have not been either, unfairly applying what he saw as overly broad stay-at-home restrictions. That amounts to leaders failing to treat citizens’ sacrifices respectfully, he said. |
| “There was this well of good will and intention to help, and that’s been squandered,” he said. “When people feel their good will has been squandered, that’s when they lose faith in government.” | “There was this well of good will and intention to help, and that’s been squandered,” he said. “When people feel their good will has been squandered, that’s when they lose faith in government.” |
| The disillusionment has become a facet of national political campaigning. Mr. Trump pitched himself as an outsider fighting for those left behind by Washington’s policies. Joe Biden, the Democratic front-runner, talks that way, too. But for Americans who no longer trust government, the promises, even from their own party, sound hollow. | The disillusionment has become a facet of national political campaigning. Mr. Trump pitched himself as an outsider fighting for those left behind by Washington’s policies. Joe Biden, the Democratic front-runner, talks that way, too. But for Americans who no longer trust government, the promises, even from their own party, sound hollow. |
| “We still don’t really have health care, we are still paying high prices for drugs, we are still in a war that has lasted for 17 years,” said Ms. Millner, a Democrat. “Me voting for Joe Biden isn’t going to change any of that. That’s what’s frustrating.” | “We still don’t really have health care, we are still paying high prices for drugs, we are still in a war that has lasted for 17 years,” said Ms. Millner, a Democrat. “Me voting for Joe Biden isn’t going to change any of that. That’s what’s frustrating.” |
| The way Americans answer the trust question does have a strong partisan flavor: Republicans tend to trust it more under Republican presidents, and Democrats under Democratic presidents. | The way Americans answer the trust question does have a strong partisan flavor: Republicans tend to trust it more under Republican presidents, and Democrats under Democratic presidents. |
| And trust has fallen over all as the conservative movement increasingly pushed the idea that government was a threat to personal liberty and should be limited, a view that holds sway among Republicans today. | And trust has fallen over all as the conservative movement increasingly pushed the idea that government was a threat to personal liberty and should be limited, a view that holds sway among Republicans today. |
| Even so, there has been a powerful downward trend among members of both parties over half a century. Why? | Even so, there has been a powerful downward trend among members of both parties over half a century. Why? |
| Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at Yale University, argues that the answer lies in two questions: Are things going well, and is the government representing me? As inequality has risen, the answer to both has increasingly been no. | Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at Yale University, argues that the answer lies in two questions: Are things going well, and is the government representing me? As inequality has risen, the answer to both has increasingly been no. |
| “Rising inequality is a huge shock to our society and political system,” said Mr. Hacker, who explores the topic in a forthcoming book, “Let Them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality.” “People feel like they are not gaining,” he said, “and that government is not responsive — that it doesn’t work on behalf of ordinary citizens.” | “Rising inequality is a huge shock to our society and political system,” said Mr. Hacker, who explores the topic in a forthcoming book, “Let Them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality.” “People feel like they are not gaining,” he said, “and that government is not responsive — that it doesn’t work on behalf of ordinary citizens.” |
| The result, he added, is that “our democracy is not working as it should.” | The result, he added, is that “our democracy is not working as it should.” |
| Trust in government is one measure of a country’s democratic health, he said. And democracies that do not have much of it tend to be less stable. | Trust in government is one measure of a country’s democratic health, he said. And democracies that do not have much of it tend to be less stable. |
| Patricia Bolgiano has lived through multiple economic downturns. Each time, she said, leaders in Washington responded in ways that left her family behind, while a select few got wealthier. | Patricia Bolgiano has lived through multiple economic downturns. Each time, she said, leaders in Washington responded in ways that left her family behind, while a select few got wealthier. |
| She grew up poor in Baltimore, and remembers a rising culture of wealth in the 1980s that bore no resemblance to her life. | She grew up poor in Baltimore, and remembers a rising culture of wealth in the 1980s that bore no resemblance to her life. |
| “‘Dynasty’ and ‘Knots Landing,’ that’s what you aspired to,” she said. “You wanted those Linda Evans haircuts and shoulder pads. I could never have afforded any of those things. I was working in a low-end retail job. There was just this big disconnect.” | “‘Dynasty’ and ‘Knots Landing,’ that’s what you aspired to,” she said. “You wanted those Linda Evans haircuts and shoulder pads. I could never have afforded any of those things. I was working in a low-end retail job. There was just this big disconnect.” |
| Mrs. Bolgiano was working in a call center at a regional bank in Maryland during the stock market crash of 1987 and the savings and loan crisis. She remembers scared-sounding customers on the other end of the phone, and secretaries talking about their bosses’ golden parachutes. | Mrs. Bolgiano was working in a call center at a regional bank in Maryland during the stock market crash of 1987 and the savings and loan crisis. She remembers scared-sounding customers on the other end of the phone, and secretaries talking about their bosses’ golden parachutes. |
| It happened again 20 years later. One evening in 2008, she was driving and listening to the news on the radio. Banks were collapsing. She knew what was coming next: bailouts for Wall Street, and no accountability for what they had done to hurt the economy. | It happened again 20 years later. One evening in 2008, she was driving and listening to the news on the radio. Banks were collapsing. She knew what was coming next: bailouts for Wall Street, and no accountability for what they had done to hurt the economy. |
| “They knew they could get out of anything,” she said. | “They knew they could get out of anything,” she said. |
| Mrs. Bolgiano eventually earned a degree in graphic design, but she never managed to reach her life’s goal of earning $80,000 a year or taking a trip to Europe. She and her husband retired to rural Texas because it was cheaper than Maryland. | Mrs. Bolgiano eventually earned a degree in graphic design, but she never managed to reach her life’s goal of earning $80,000 a year or taking a trip to Europe. She and her husband retired to rural Texas because it was cheaper than Maryland. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| She said she got a stimulus check and used the money to make some house repairs. But she is still angry at both parties. Their leaders remind her of the popular kids in high school “playing games without a moral compass.” | She said she got a stimulus check and used the money to make some house repairs. But she is still angry at both parties. Their leaders remind her of the popular kids in high school “playing games without a moral compass.” |
| The pandemic, she said, is the same old story. People were told to stay home and adapt, though they had no savings. And while a lot of money was disbursed, Mrs. Bolgiano does not believe it went to the people who really needed it. | The pandemic, she said, is the same old story. People were told to stay home and adapt, though they had no savings. And while a lot of money was disbursed, Mrs. Bolgiano does not believe it went to the people who really needed it. |
| “Why did multimillion-dollar businesses get it and small vendors did not?” she said. “The packages and rules are made by those in power for friends and family, not the general public.” | “Why did multimillion-dollar businesses get it and small vendors did not?” she said. “The packages and rules are made by those in power for friends and family, not the general public.” |
| Low levels of trust among large numbers of people can yield fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Amanda Robert, a political activist in Michigan, grew up in a working-class family and understands where those theories come from. Feelings of powerlessness bring deep anxiety and a craving for an explanation, a way to contain and even organize the world around you. | Low levels of trust among large numbers of people can yield fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Amanda Robert, a political activist in Michigan, grew up in a working-class family and understands where those theories come from. Feelings of powerlessness bring deep anxiety and a craving for an explanation, a way to contain and even organize the world around you. |
| “It’s so scary to watch people unraveling during this pandemic because they don’t trust,” she said, noting that people she never would have expected are sharing conspiracy theories on social media. | “It’s so scary to watch people unraveling during this pandemic because they don’t trust,” she said, noting that people she never would have expected are sharing conspiracy theories on social media. |
| A friend shared a fake documentary saying the pandemic had been deliberately planned. Another friend in nursing school was insistent that people should not quarantine. When she suggested that a friend call a state representative to get help with a problem related to unemployment benefits, her friend’s response was to attack the representative. | A friend shared a fake documentary saying the pandemic had been deliberately planned. Another friend in nursing school was insistent that people should not quarantine. When she suggested that a friend call a state representative to get help with a problem related to unemployment benefits, her friend’s response was to attack the representative. |
| “The reply I got was, ‘I don’t trust them to do anything,’” Ms. Robert said. “‘They are giving us unemployment so we become reliant on them.’” | “The reply I got was, ‘I don’t trust them to do anything,’” Ms. Robert said. “‘They are giving us unemployment so we become reliant on them.’” |
| The trust story is different when it comes to local government. In 2018, about two-thirds of Americans said they viewed their local government favorably, according to Pew. And there is some evidence that during this crisis, people are learning to rely on one another in their communities and rediscovering the power of local government. | The trust story is different when it comes to local government. In 2018, about two-thirds of Americans said they viewed their local government favorably, according to Pew. And there is some evidence that during this crisis, people are learning to rely on one another in their communities and rediscovering the power of local government. |
| Clark Donnelly, a teacher in Mendota, Minn., says he is sick of bad talk about the government. Mr. Donnelly, who serves on the Mendota City Council, said residents were going out of their way to help one another, leaving food packages in the tiny town post office. They are still willing to volunteer their time, and that gives him hope. | Clark Donnelly, a teacher in Mendota, Minn., says he is sick of bad talk about the government. Mr. Donnelly, who serves on the Mendota City Council, said residents were going out of their way to help one another, leaving food packages in the tiny town post office. They are still willing to volunteer their time, and that gives him hope. |
| “I go to these cable commission meetings once a month — they’re boring and really hard to sit through — yet there are 20 people showing up to give up their great spring Minnesota night to do their civic duty,” he said, noting that since the pandemic took hold the meetings have been held by phone. “That’s the government, right there.” | “I go to these cable commission meetings once a month — they’re boring and really hard to sit through — yet there are 20 people showing up to give up their great spring Minnesota night to do their civic duty,” he said, noting that since the pandemic took hold the meetings have been held by phone. “That’s the government, right there.” |