[donw]

People assume all institutions are default-corrupt.

True for any social system that grants one group power over another.

Only constant and consistent demonstration of honest behavior signals otherwise. Trust is a delicate thing, and must be maintained.

[lemmsjid]

That may be true of some people, but what we’re seeing right now is people’s trust swinging to media vehicles and political leaders that have done nothing to earn trust aside from charismatically asserting that they are more trustworthy.

[rayiner]

Trump’s brand isn’t built on trust, it’s built on fighting.

Trustworthy institutions enable people with conflicting interests and values to cooperate. When people lose trust and believe institutions are biased against them, they don’t seek an alternative source of trusted authority. Instead, they seek a champion who will be biased in their favor and fight for them.

You see this in third world countries all the time. The factions there aren’t built on leaders being trustworthy, but instead sectarian affiliation.