Summary Of The Age Of Distrust

The central argument of the article, “The Age of Distrust” is that as a result of the self-centered actions of the social, economic, and political elite, the common people have lost trust in the establishment. Cohen attributes the widespread decrease in confidence in the current political and economic institutions to the increasing presence of money and special interests, which “[...] have created a corrupt political class that is out-of-touch with ordinary people, interested mostly in enriching themselves, and immune to accountability.” Because of massive income inequality and what many perceive as political corruption, day-to-day citizens are left feeling out of touch and disconnected, which results in alienation and discontent with the