S1 E5: Why We Don’t Trust Government And How To Fix It
Independent Times is the source for independent voters' no-spin news and analysis. Welcome to the first podcast built for America’s largest voting bloc: 43% of voters now identify as independent, outpacing both Democrats and Republicans.
Trust in government is at historic lows, with a 2025 study showing that 65% of young Americans are open to radical change, driven by economic anxiety and the perception that leaders prioritize the interests of elites over the public good.
Host Lisa Singer, along with co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo, bridges the gap between widespread distrust and the government's essential functions.
We Unpack:
- The Defining Divide: We clarify the core ideological platforms. Democrats view the government as the solution and a safety net, as seen in FDR's New Deal; Republicans view the government as the problem and advocate for lean, free markets, as exemplified by Reagan's philosophy.
- The Great Erosion: We trace the collapse of trust from the post-WWII peak of 80% to the present day, fueled by historic betrayals such as the Vietnam War lies, Watergate, and the devastating 2008 bank bailouts.
- The Economic Urgency: We examine the current financial crisis, characterized by rising delinquencies and family farm bankruptcies, and why economic stagnation threatens to push citizens into the arms of "strongmen."
- The Fix: With 86% of Americans fed up with gridlock, independent voters are the key to change. We share practical steps to restore accountability, starting at the local level.
- Independent Hero of the Week: Braver Angels, a grassroots organization dedicated to bridging the partisan divide and rebuilding trust one conversation at a time.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 | Title Sequence
- 00:44 | Clip: “All In The Family” Archie Debates Politics
- 01:32 | Intro: Churchill's Cynical Defense of Democracy
- 03:53 | The UN Defense of Democracy
- 05:55 | What Makes America a Democracy?
- 07:16 | Clip: President Obama on Public Service
- 08:15 | Democracy vs. All Other Forms of Government
- 12:28 | Threats of Polarization and Lack of Accountability
- 13:28 | Economic Stress, Delinquencies, and Bankruptcies,
- 14:03 | Clip: Everyday Americans are Struggling
- 15:16 | What Breaks a Democracy?
- 17:01 | Brief Moments of High Trust (1812 to Post-WWII Peak)
- 16:16 | The Great Shift: FDR's New Deal Revolution
- 19:21 | Clip: The Great Depression
- 21:35 | The Ideological Divide: New Deal vs. Reagan
- 25:46 | Clip: Ronald Reagan on The Tonight Show (1975)
- 27:11 | Betrayal: Lies from Vietnam to the Iraq War
- 28:35 | Clip: 60 Minutes on the 2008 Bank Bailouts Clip
- 29:59 | Independents: The Key to Fixing Gridlock
- 33:52 | Independent Hero of the Week: Braver Angels
- 35:52 | Final thoughts, next week's topic, and call to action.
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️ Independent Times – Season 1
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