By Srishti Kalra
Government, NGOs, businesses and the media are said to be the four institutional pillars of a nation. While reading a news application, you are in an informed position about the functioning of the institutions of your country. So if asked whether you believe the system is working, would you allow the inherent patriotism to jump in, or would you take a rational approach?
Numbers are worrying
Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that this year, there has been an unprecedented crisis of trust. Over half of the countries surveyed were seen losing faith in the system with France leading at 72% of the population. Central and eastern Europe followed France, while parts of the former Soviet sphere owe their annihilation of trust to a background of an all-controlling communist state.
But the trust erosion in Western Europe, U.S. and United Kingdom is startling. Furthermore, it is also detrimental, as demonstrated by the political upheavals in these nations.
Trust begets prosperity
Francis Fukuyama, the political scientist who argued the worldwide spread of liberal democracies, connected trust with prosperity. Findings indicate a positive correlation between the rising income inequality, poverty rates, and the distrust with the system. But unlike Pavlovs dog, the disappointment of people does not react immediately to the stimuli of economic disparities. Prolonged social welfare and institutional development secure faith of the masses.
Francis Fukayama, political scientist. | Photo Courtesy: VOA NewsEdelmans survey concludes that corruption, globalisation, eroding social value, immigration, and pace of innovation are the issues which concern or frighten an individual in a democracy. India is the only country among those surveyed which has an above average level of fear for all these issues.
Does this imply that Indians are discontent with their institutions? It should. But surprisingly, India not just has a below average belief that the system is failing; but has one of the highest trust levels in its system. So is the patriotic sentiment driving our decisions or a lack of disillusionment of our own institutions?
How does India fare?
[su_pullquote align=”right”]But surprisingly, India not just has a below average belief that the system is failing; but has one of the highest trust levels in its system.[/su_pullquote]
With an increase in transparency of the functions under Right To Information (RTI), mushrooming of social media access to public, and the collapse of the grand illusion that masses will always follow the elite – this arbitrary belief in government, businesses and media is distressing. Government nowadays is a self-seeking entity as evident by inter-party disputes, electoral fraud, stall of bills, and incessant corruption.
The media houses monitor every move of the government and exhibit it with a Guy Fawkes mask. Indian business entities carry out actions, describes Edelman, as the ones that would damage trust the most: paying bribes to the government official (2G spectrum scam), moving profits to other countries to avoid taxes (Panama Papers), overcharging for products, and many others. And yet, the business sector is the most promising manner of getting stuff done and the shoulder of financial and personnel growth.
The gap between the masses and the informed public. | Photo Courtesy: QuartzAnother perplexity is a 22 point gap between the opinion of mass population and informed public.
Provided that the internet penetration in India is lowest among the countries surveyed, the national representative online sample will be more affluent, educated and urban than general population.
Clearly, one section of the society is more critical of its institutions than the other.
While disillusionment with the government may lead to a rise of the populist politicians, as it happened in U.S., having blind faith in the imperceptive chanting of leaders while disregarding prevailing impediments to a diligent government is not wise either. Perhaps, a new world of self-reference isnt completely depraved either.