So, let’s start there. Nothing is more corrosive to our democracy and trust in government than leaders or others who do not adhere to the rule of law — but instead attempt to govern or act by whim or knowing disregard for the law. Our democratic institutions are sturdy but they can be broken. The rule of law ensures our rights, prevents tyranny and chaos, provides a way to peacefully resolve disputes — and it fosters trust. If we lose it, we’re doomed. We must insist our leaders do not further take us down that path. It’s imperative for voters to only support leaders who clearly support the rule of law — and that means all the laws, not just the ones with which they agree.
Of course, trust is not just given — it’s earned. A key part of restoring broken trust is for the betrayer to evolve to be consistently transparent and accountable and reliably deliver results over time.
Whether you’re pro-government or anti-government, we should all be anti-lousy-results. So, even in our hyperpolarized country, perhaps we can agree on at least one thing — demanding better results.
That will require us to not overly focus on what politicians say — but instead on the results they produce. We can easily track whether our food, fuel, housing and health care costs more. We can review whether student performance is improving or declining. We can experience whether our neighborhoods are getting safer or more dangerous. We can see if the taxes we pay seem fair or excessive. And the list goes on.
Almost a third of the NFL’s head coaches were fired in the last few months. The reason was disappointing results. If politicians don’t consistently produce better results, voters need to fire more of them more quickly and more frequently. Whether you think government should be larger or smaller, we can all agree it needs to be well-run. Elected leaders don’t necessarily need large-scale management experience, but they at least need to exhibit an understanding of the importance of those skills when appointing their team. Having competent people running government departments and programs will decrease the likelihood of a fraud fiasco or similar occurring and it will increase trust as a result.
We also need our leaders to act better and be better. Our anger will lead us to support leaders who reflect our angry mindset. That’s totally understandable — but we need those leaders to also be decent, competent, courageous and wise. If they are, it will help rebuild trust even with people who do not share their views.
