A crisis of discontent and alienation? -- "I pledge allegiance?" : support for the political regime -- "Broken branches?" : support for the component parts of government -- "The great destroyer?" : political support and the mass media -- "Voices in the wilderness?" : ordinary citizens and political support
Summary
Public confidence and trust in government is low these days. Farnsworth pinpoints this disappointment to shifting expectations of what, exactly, government should do. Politicians were once expected to maintain economic growth, but in our post-scarcity era most citizens expect them to provide services - such as welfare or environmental -that are often contentious. Enlarging the scope of local political empowerment will increase public support by making politics more approachable and responsive
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-182) and index
