At what point does trust bottom out?

The term “super-distruster” was coined by author Cory Doctorow. He introduced it in a December 2024 article for Campaigns & Elections, where he discussed the growing segment of the electorate characterized by extreme distrust in political institutions, media and elites. Doctorow highlighted that this group is disillusioned with traditional political structures and often refrains entirely from voting or engaging in political processes. Campaigns & Elections has found that they represent about 26% of the American citizenry.

There are a variety of ways to define and measure this super-distruster phenomenon. In the United States, a Campaigns & Elections study classifies super distrusters as those with “no faith” in at least three of five core instituti

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