Shellys: Warnings are clear about the fragile state of our democracy
When thinking about American society today, there is no clear, easy path to follow. It is almost like a stream-of-consciousness experience. An understanding of history is absolutely necessary, and psychology, political science, sociology and religion help frame the questions. For us, it started with the question: When did Americans begin losing faith and trust in American institutions and in each other? We waded into a swamp of possible answers and quickly got mired in what we found.
When we use the word “institutions,” we aren’t talking about a mental health facility or a prison, we are talking about what structures our social life. Our major institutions – government, the economy, education, religion, and the family – “provide a way to give shape, purpose, concrete meaning and identity to the things we do together,” according to Yuval Levin in a NYT article. He suggests that a “collapse of our confidence in institutions – public, private, civic and political - has led to Americans living through a social crisis.” For example, “Because political trust is considered a necessary pre-condition for democratic rule, a decline in trust is thought to fundamentally challenge the quality of representative democracy,”
From the beginning, our experiment in democracy has been fraught with problems and uncertainties. However, for the most part, American character has reflected optimism, hope, trust, and faith in what was possible. The mid-1960s is regarded as a pivotal moment. The 1960s were turbulent times. We experienced one problem or issue after another. We began the decade in Camelot and ended in Vietnam with Watergate to follow in the early 70s. People did not trust that their political institutions could or would find solutions to their problems. In 1995 the World Values Survey asked whether people approved of various types of political systems, and 25% of Americans said it was a good idea to have “a strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament and elections.” That’s right, 25%. By 2017, 38% of Americans embraced this belief. After 57 years, this is where we find ourselves.
Assuming both truth and trust have declined, Jonathan Cherry asks whether a society can still function without both truth and trust. To complicate things, there also appears to be a deterioration of trust between groups of people. He suggests that some people are “so deeply skeptical about the held point of view of ‘the other’ that no amount of reasoning or ‘evidence,’ or ‘fact’ is likely to help them change their minds.” What happens then when people only see truth as a point of view? He goes on to ask: “How can a society function properly if there is skepticism of its institutions?” “How can it work for all if there is no universal support of its leadership?” His simple answer is “It can’t.” He concludes, “Societies and organizations that lack trust are not sustainable.”
For another perspective, Harvard Kennedy School scholars share the results of the Harvard Youth Poll, which has been conducted both spring and fall for 20 years. The latest sample included 2,109 young people, ages 18-29. More than half feel democracy is under threat, over a third believe they could see a second civil war in their lifetime, the majority are unhappy with Biden and Congress, and half said they struggle with feelings of hopelessness and depression. “They see a democracy and climate in peril and Washington more interested in confrontation than compromise.” Despite that, they are determined to fight for the changes they feel necessary. Ironically, they have come to value their communities and connections with others more deeply, even while their elders trust each other less.
Yuval Levin writes, “…asking questions is the one thing we all can do to take on the complicated social crisis we are living through and begin to rebuild the bonds of trust essential for a free society.” We all – young and old - share this responsibility of restoring trust and faith in our institutions and in each other. If we are silent, we are complicit, and silence and inaction become our response. We believe the answers to the questions we’ve raised will be found in possessing more knowledge and information, not less. That will be our power and energy. Our response must include a rejection of polarization, disinformation, the denial of truth, and the movement toward authoritarian values. We must vote as though our lives depend on it. It is not hyperbole to focus on the very survival of our democracy. The truth is that “societies and organizations that lack trust are not sustainable.” We have been warned.
Walter Shelly retired after 40 years as a professor of political science at West Texas A&M University. Linda Shelly retired after 33 years of teaching sociology at West Texas A&M University and Amarillo College.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Shellys warnings are clear about the fragile state of our democracy
