In an ongoing dispute centered around the perennial question of “Who decides — the government or the people?” recent polling data from Rasmussen Reports shows that voters are increasingly distrustful of bureaucrats and other members of the “expert” class to make policy decisions that impact their lives.
According to the survey, a resounding 67% say the government should be more responsive to voters and show less deference to so-called policy experts. Although not named in the poll, these experts often include figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci — unelected bureaucrats endowed with significant power within the federal administrative state by virtue of their “expertise” in specific fields.
While these experts are supposed to help government officials craft good policy, one-fourth of voters express they “rarely or never” trust their decisions, while 42% say they do “only some of the time.”
Moreover, while faith in government agencies continues to flag, a majority of Americans believe that of the 50,000 senior government officials with some level of impact over policy-making, most, generally speaking, are more interested in pursuing their own agenda than serving the American people.
Additional notable findings include:
- 51% of voters say they are more likely to follow the teachings and values of their faith, even in the face of potential government pressure to compromise
- 76% say government experts should respect the wishes of voters when making decisions that may be unpopular
- 57% say policy experts on the state and local level are more responsive to the concerns of voters compared to their federal counterparts
As one commentator noted, “After years of relentless lies from cable news “experts”, the skepticism isn’t really noteworthy at all. In fact, at this point, even the experts themselves have basically conceded that they can’t be trusted.”
Clearly, the expert class is collapsing. As voters flock back to the Founders’ model for federalism and self-government, in which decisions are made as close to home as possible, grassroots-centered movements, like Convention of States, rise to the forefront. Trust in Washington is all but dead, but through an Article V convention, “We the People” can reclaim authority.
To support the movement, sign the petition below.
