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Why don't Americans trust the government?

A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that only 17% of Americans say they trust the government. That’s compared to a whopping 77% in 1964.

Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer speculates that the current distrust, which has grown by the decade, is a result of the misinformation and disinformation that successive governments have issued during wartime.

His article in Foreign Policy is “From Vietnam to Iran, war is the reason Americans don’t trust their government.” He joins host Indira Lakshmanan to explore the issue.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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