In “Trust in a Polarized Age,” political philosopher Kevin Vallier offers a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing sense of hopelessness that dogs the American political landscape.
Americans today don’t trust each other and their institutions as much as they once did. The collapse of social and political trust has arguably fueled our increasingly ferocious ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. But is today’s decline in trust inevitable or avoidable? Are we caught in a downward spiral that must end in institutional decay or even civil war, or can we restore trust through our shared social institutions?
Kevin Vallier is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University, where he directs the program in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law. He is the author of three monographs, four edited volumes, and over 40 peer-reviewed book chapters and journal articles. His books include “Liberal Politics and Public Faith: Beyond Separation,” and “Must Politics Be War? Restoring Our Trust in the Open Society.”
Nolan McCarty is Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He is author and co-author of several previous books, including “Polarized America,” “Political Bubbles,” and “Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know.”
This event was recorded on November 30, 2020.