Politicians with Bad Character Break Trust with Voters
………….. Blog Contents…………
Why Voters Don’t Trust Politicians
Voters’ Attitudes About Self-serving Politicians
Why Voters Don’t Trust Politicians
For most Americans, relationships with politicians are amplified during elections when politicians make promises and voters respond to their rhetoric with money and votes. Incumbent politicians must also demonstrate that they fulfilled promises made in earlier elections, but generally they are re-elected on the basis of new promises, campaign rhetoric that attacks political opponents, and party affiliation. We only need to look at distrust of politicians and government to prove that in-depth character assessment is rarely factored into voters’ decisions.
This is how democracy works. Voters’ relationship to politicians is like a marriage gone bad.
During the courting process, politicians make themselves attractive with rhetoric and promises to satisfy voters’ interests.
Voters seal the deal with money, votes and a measure of trust.
The honeymoon ends when politicians’ true character is revealed as they confront the realities of governing in a hostile legislative environment.
Voters become disaffected, angry with government, and lose trust in politicians and government.
Many voters also develop deep distrust of fellow Americans who are aligned with politicians deemed to be lacking character.
The following polls reveal the generational decline in Americans’ trust in politicians’ government, institutions and people:
Pew Research: Low public trust in federal government has persisted for nearly two decades.
Pew Research: Public Trust in Government: 1958-2024
Gallup Poll: In U.S., Trust in Politicians, Voters Continues to Ebb
Gallup Poll: Americans Trust Local Government Most, Congress Least
Pew Research: The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades
Pew Research: America’s Dismal View of the Nation’s Politics
These reports don’t tell Americans anything they don’t already know. Nevertheless, because they quantify the depth of distrust and division, they should serve as motivators to take action.
While these reports statistically explain the erosion of distrust and division in America, they do not offer clear explanations for why the division exists. That is what this blog post is all about.
We begin with the proposition that the reason Americans don’t have high trust in government, and one another, is that politicians do not have sound character. If they had good character, they would not do the following:
Break trust with voters by making campaign promises they can’t keep.
Engage in divisive, combative campaign rhetoric.
Publicly display distrust and disdain for other politicians and voters who don’t share their political ideology.
Pass legislation that is contrary to the common good for all Americans.
The second proposition includes voters’ contributions to distrust and division:
Voters don’t understand the qualities of good and bad character.
Voters don’t make deep evaluations of politicians’ character.
Many voters decide whom to vote for on the basis of campaign rhetoric, policy preferences, and party labels.
Voters are not in the habit of holding politicians accountable for past bad behavior when voting.
Voters don’t communicate to politicians that they constantly evaluate politicians’ character.
They are selective in the media sources they consult to qualify politicians’ character.
Many voters are like politicians when they publicly display distrust and disdain for politicians and voters who don’t share their political ideology.
Note to readers: This is only shorts list of things that politicians and voters do to break trust. Extensive lists of do’s and don’ts for good and bad character will be discussed in future Make America Better: Vote for Good Character blog posts.
There are many social consequences to bad character, but the most serious consequence is that people with bad character are not trustworthy. Everyone knows that it is hard to maintain long-term, trusting relationships with dishonest people who lack good character.
This is true in all kinds of relationships — including with elected officials — where broken expectations regarding campaign promises, honesty and general incivility have the consequence of eroding trust throughout the nation. Perplexity.ai explains why this happens:
Broken Expectations Cause Disappointment and Disillusionment
When expectations are not met, feelings of disappointment often arise. This can lead to disillusionment, where individuals begin to question the reliability and integrity of the other party. Over time, repeated disappointments can create a pervasive sense of mistrust.Broken Expectations Cause Breakdown in Communication
Broken expectations can lead to misunderstandings and poor communication. When one party feels let down, they may withdraw or become defensive, making it difficult to address the underlying issues. This breakdown can further exacerbate feelings of mistrust.Broken Expectations Cause Resentment and Bitterness
Unmet expectations can breed resentment. Individuals may harbor negative feelings toward those who have let them down, which can poison the relationship. This bitterness can linger, making it challenging to rebuild trust.
The reason for this dynamic process is that, once in office, politicians’ primary interest is to get reelected. The pressing realities of fundraising inhibit their ability to fulfill promises made to voters so they can focus on the business of governing for the common good of all Americans. In other words, trust in politicians begins to deteriorate as soon as they get elected. Voters would be able to predict this outcome if they qualified candidates for office on the basis of character — not campaign rhetoric and promises.
Self-serving obsession on reelection is an indicator of bad character. Good character always focuses on the interests of others — not on self.
Voters’ Attitudes About Self-serving Politicians
Here is how Perplexity.ai reports voters’ attitudes about self-serving politicians:
The primary interest of politicians, particularly those in Congress, is often viewed as securing reelection. Research indicates that a significant majority of Americans believe that elected officials are primarily motivated by self-interest rather than a desire to serve the public.
For instance, a Pew Research study found that 63% of respondents think most politicians run for office to make money, while 57% believe they seek higher positions, and 54% think they desire fame and attention. Only 15% of Americans believe that most elected officials are motivated by a genuine desire to serve the public.
The concept of politicians as "single-minded seekers of reelection" is supported by political scientist David Mayhew, who posits that the fundamental goal of members of Congress is to secure their own reelection. This focus on reelection influences their legislative behavior, leading them to engage in activities such as advertising, position-taking, and credit-claiming to enhance their visibility and appeal to constituents.
Moreover, the incumbency advantage plays a crucial role in this dynamic. Incumbents in Congress enjoy substantial financial backing, with significant disparities in campaign contributions compared to challengers. For example, in the 2022 elections, incumbents raised an average of $29.7 million for Senate races, compared to just $2.1 million for challengers. This financial edge contributes to high reelection rates, with House incumbents retaining their seats in 94% of races in 2022.
In summary, while some politicians may have genuine policy interests, the prevailing sentiment is that the drive for reelection significantly shapes their actions and priorities in office.
Conclusions:
Social and political division is rooted in distrust of self-serving politicians.
People with good character are trustworthy because they focus on the common good for all Americans.
People with bad character are not trustworthy because they focus on the following:
personal drive to remain in office
political pressure from voters
fundraising from voters
political pressure from their political party
special interest lobbyists who help them get reelected.
Social division and dysfunctional government in America are the cumulative effect of decades of electing and reelecting politicians on the basis of promises and party loyalty — not personal character and trustworthiness.
It is impossible to build meaningful, lasting trust in government institutions and fellow Americans when politicians are driven more by the desire to get reelected than by the ideal of “liberty and justice for all.”
Self-serving politicians create license for other Americans to pursue their own self-interests without regard for the common good of all people and the ideal of “liberty and justice for all.”
Trust is built on performance with respect to expectations. Legislative bodies of government are fraught with conflict because voters with many competing interests expect politicians to legislate relief from injustice for them.
Some voters will vote for legislators with bad character because they promise to legislate for, and against, the interests of unique classes of voters.
Legislators with good character will legislate for policies that restore justice for marginalized, disenfranchised people who do not have anyone to advocate for their interests.
Legislators with bad character will pass legislation that compromises the ideal of “liberty and justice for all” because, being driven by the self-serving desire to be reelected, they are ready to compromise on the ideal of “liberty and justice for all.”
Voters who support politicians with bad character behavior tend to adopt and publicly display the attitudes and uncivil behaviors of those politicians.
Legislators with good character will always be willing to make personal sacrifices in pursuit of the common good of all people represented in the ideal of “liberty and justice for all.”
Legislators with good character are good role models for all Americans to make personal sacrifices in pursuit of the ideal of “liberty and justice for all.”
Americans must be taught the principles of good character and “liberty and justice for all” from an early age at home and in schools.
Media must aggressively reinforce principles of good character by exposing positive and negative examples.
Religious leaders must aggressively teach principles of good character in the context of loving your neighbor.
What’s Next
This post discusses why Americans don’t trust politicians or each other. It also argues that voters share responsibility with politicians for social and political division in America.
The next post will discuss the attitudes and behaviors that constitute good character.
Readers who find these discussions important for good government and social cohesion are encouraged to subscribe to Make America Better: Vote for Character and share it with others.