Trust is in short supply these days

This is the Theme of the Week edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. Follow us on Instag [Bloomberg]( This is the Theme of the Week edition of [Bloomberg Opinion Today](, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. Follow us on [Instagram](, [TikTok](, [X](, [Threads]( and [Facebook](. Sooooo, America … how was your Thanksgiving? Source: shopwearwell/Instagram We’ve got more than enough jokes around here about dysfunctional dinners, usually about all that good cheer and selfless spirit that's supposed to embody the holiday season getting thrown out the window when anything vaguely controversial enters the conversation. We’re becoming more polarized, more dissatisfied and more exhausted by the [nation’s politics](, and as the [ties that bind]( us as a country fray, so too have the ones at home. “Our political hostility shows no sign of abating, with each faction seeing the other as increasingly [dangerous and delusional](,” F.D. Flam writes. “Families with mixed political affiliations may be an endangered species.” Faye also gives us the good news (if we’ll listen): We may be more polarized than ever, but the data tells us that [we agree on more than we think](. So why don’t we trust the numbers — or much of anything else we hear anymore? Why do we refuse to believe that, say, the [economy really isn’t doing so badly](? Well … the bad news. “Distrust in government has risen steadily over the past several decades to [8 in 10]( individuals in 2022,” Claudia Sahm writes, which undermines the collection of data. One poll [found that 40% of adults]( either “somewhat distrust” government economic data or “did not trust it at all” — and [people’s distrust in economic data]( is higher when their party does not occupy the White House. “In that sense, economic data are about more than economics,” Claudia says. Case in point: the 2024 presidential election, which looms ever larger as a symbol of our [collective distrust and dysfunction](. “[Partisan politics intrudes]( on US election administration (as on every other kind of American public service); both parties seek advantage wherever possible; money is spent on turning out the vote and choices are made about where to spend it; in 2020 voting procedures were revised because of the pandemic; and so on,” Clive Crook writes. “Trust in the system is broken — and you won’t restore it by refusing to pay attention.” People want to be heard, to feel that their concerns are being respected, he adds, and the person who leads the country must understand that you can’t bring people together without trust. I’m not convinced that humans are born pessimists, or that darkness resides in everyone. Journalists have since the dawn of our profession been accused of only sharing the bad news and hiding the “happy” stories. As I write my last Sunday newsletter and move on to new things at Bloomberg Opinion, I choose to believe this: that [we pay attention to bad news]( because, deep down, we think the world is actually a more positive place — and we’re looking for people to trust. And for that, I’m thankful. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](