Why is trust in American institutions so low?

Flag day
Stars, stripes and a soiled sofa in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 12, 2011.
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

Approval ratings for the U.S. government are at a 15-year low. Now that mistrust has infected all sorts of American institutions.

Last month, the National Journal had an article titled "In Nothing We Trust":

"Seven in 10 Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track; eight in 10 are dissatisfied with the way the nation is being governed. Only 23 percent have confidence in banks, and just 19 percent have confidence in big business. Less than half the population expresses 'a great deal' of confidence in the public-school system or organized religion."

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Have we been through this before and will America recover its trust?

Ron Fournier, editor-in-chief at the National Journal Group, joined The Daily Circuit to discuss American trust issues. Marc Hetherington, professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, also joined the discussion.

POLL: What big institutions have you lost faith in?