This article originally appeared in The Detroit News December 16, 2025.

Trust in government is falling. Only 17% of Americans believe the federal government will do the right thing “just about always” or “most of the time.” The Pew Research Center says this is nearly the lowest level ever recorded. But policymakers and public employees can help rebuild trust by emphasizing integrity, competence and the rule of law.

The National Election Study has measured trust in government for nearly seven decades. In 1964, 77% of Americans said they trusted the federal government almost always or most of the time. The number has since plummeted to the current level of 17%.

According to Jeffrey M. Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, 32% of Americans have a great deal or fair amount of trust in Congress, 41% in the executive branch and 49% in the judiciary. So, there are varying levels of trust for specific branches of government but less for the government in general.

Trust improves as government gets closer to home, with 59% of Americans expressing trust in state government and 65% in local government.

And yet, each of these metrics has suffered a decades-long decline. No matter the measurement, trust in government has only moved in one direction: down.

Americans have long been concerned about abuses of government. Our founding 250 years ago was rooted in a dispute with Great Britain; we broke ties after King George III became destructive of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We carried that skepticism into the formation of our own government. The Bill of Rights, after all, wasn’t adopted because of an abundance of trust.

It’s one thing to see the deficit of trust. What can be done in response?

Trust is earned, not demanded. It is a byproduct. Here are three ideas for elected officials and public employees.

First, demonstrate integrity. Corruption damages trust for years to come. Michigan has experienced its share of scandals, from former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was convicted of corruption and bribery, to former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson, who pled guilty to receiving bribes while on a marijuana licensing board, to former Speaker Lee Chatfield, who faces a criminal trial for alleged embezzlement.

Something need not be criminally corrupt to damage the public’s confidence. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s $20 million grant to Fay Beydoun, which she used for extravagant purchases such as a $4,500 coffeemaker, continues to suffer well-deserved criticism and scrutiny.

Second, demonstrate competence. Incompetence exacerbates distrust, so Michigan agencies should prioritize excellence with training, simple processes and a customer service focus.

The public employees responsible for customer service interactions with residents are especially important, says William D. Eggers, executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights. When a person pays the water bill, registers to vote or asks for public records, these interactions color that person’s impression of all levels of government. People trust the government more when it accomplishes its tasks without friction or hassle.

Third, follow the rules. While most laws address how people must behave, some laws apply only to government officials or agencies. Public records laws, open meetings laws, term limits, restrictions on local tax increases — these rules provide guardrails for public servants and buoy trust when followed. When government employees resist, violate or lobby against the rules that apply to them, it invites cynicism.

A surplus of trust could increase citizen participation in local government, ease social unrest and prompt wide acceptance of government actions. But the surplus must be earned. So here’s to the public employees who serve with integrity and excellence. They can lead a new effort to rebuild trust.

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