Decline in Political Trust

Flanigan and Zingale (2002) believe that a certain degree of cynicism is always present in any political system but also note that belief in democratic ideals is essential to the preservation of a democratic system. Maintaining a democracy depends in large measure upon a high degree of political trust in which voters trust their government sufficiently to engage in minimal participation and the activities of the democracy. When this trust is diminished, voter turnout tends to decline and individuals refrain from civic activities that are supportive of a democracy.

Luttbeg and Gant (1995) maintain that political trust in the United States has fluctuated dramatically. For example, in 1964 some 62 percent of the American people indicated t hat they felt it impossible to trust government to do what is right most of the time. By 1974, this figure had declined to 33 percent and by 1980

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s movement was very much perceived as integral to the Democratic Party (Harris, 1994). Luttbeg and Gant (1995) believe that a realignment of sorts is now taking place in the United States with partisanship and issue voting the key trends shaping this realignment. As of 1992, 25 percent of the electorate was identified by these researchers as defecting from their political party. Independents are becoming more numerous as the candidacy of Ross Perot illustrated. Flanigan and Zingale (2002) claim that voter mobility is one of the key characteristics of the current era in the American politics. Many voters are finding that neither of the major political parties has an attraction for them. The question of whether or not voter mobility represents a major realignment was addressed by Flanigan and Zingale (2002) who argue that in the short term, the opportunities for a diverging political movement or the creation of a new political party are relatively small. Section C, Question 9 Any number of variables impact upon an individualÆs political participation. Religion, gender, and negative advertising are three of those variables. Harris (1994) asserted that religion among African-Americans has served as both an organi
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Approximate Word count = 1844
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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