Humanities Washington Lecture: Why Trust is Essential to Democracy

Throughout the world, democratic institutions and norms are eroding. Why? At the core of this breakdown, argues political scientist Jacob S. Lewis, is a deeper crisis of trust. Trust, which builds slowly, can be destroyed quickly—and is very hard to resurrect.
In this talk, discover the “three verbs” of trust: bonding, bridging, and breaking, and get a foundational overview of how trust operates within democratic societies. How can we work to rebuild trust together and create a stronger democratic future?
Jacob S. Lewis is an associate professor in the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs at Washington State University. His research focuses on the relationship between trust, conflict, and democracy. His work has been published in the Journal of Peace Research, Political Behavior, Political Psychology, Political Geography, Social Movement Studies, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and more.