Three years of Covid-19 chaos, political upheavals, climate change disasters, and economic downturns have triggered an increasing lack of faith in government institutions worldwide. The United States, in particular, has seen trust in government plummet, with a Pew report indicating that American confidence in government has fallen to a historic low of 20%. According to a report from the public relations firm Edelman, China might seem to be an exception to this trend. The Edelman report put Chinese citizens’ trust in their government at a record 91 percent, the highest rate in a decade. But recent outbursts of angry protests by Shanghai citizens suffering under extended Covid-19 lockdowns suggest a different story. How much faith do the Chinese people have in their government? Is Chinese nationalism still riding a wave of increasing economic prosperity, or is the Chinese model losing its luster among average citizens? How is the role of government viewed differently in the United States and China? In this episode, we welcome communications and content specialist Zhang Yajun, co-host of the WǑMEN podcast, to explore these issues of government accountability and public trust in the Chinese and US context.
Barbarians at the Gate: It's a Matter of Trust