Low trust in government may have surprising consequences

According to a recent editorial published by the Omaha World-Herald, locally elected officials are losing the faith of their constituency because they are making decisions without ample public involvement.  But what does that ultimately mean?

An academic study in 2010 found that “individuals in low-trust countries want more government intervention even though they know the government is corrupt.”  Now, I’m not saying these Nebraska local boards are corrupt.  What I’m saying is that research is showing that when there is a low-trust environment citizens tend to lean towards more government intervention.  That seems backwards.

So what will happen in Omaha, Bellevue and Douglas County?  Will citizens vote these people out of office because they do not trust them? Or will they call for more government intervention even if their faith in these elected officials has eroded over time?  I guess we will find out during the next election, but it’s something to think about and discuss.