Barriers to Benefits: The Decline in Public Trust

One of the most foundational challenges facing America today is the declining rates of public trust in democracy’s institutions.

These institutions include the judicial system, the national government, and the honesty of elections. Strong democracies rely on trust. Studies have shown that declining trust in key institutions correlates with openness to authoritarianism. Perceptions of fairness and impartiality regarding the public sector are also key to democratic legitimacy.

Barriers to Benefits: The Decline in Public Trust is a groundbreaking and detailed examination of one of the reasons for increasing dissatisfaction with and distrust of the public sector. The report details the requirements to qualify for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid in nine representative states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. It is a punitive process that “others” those in need by implying they are trying to defraud the system.

To read the Executive Summary, a national analysis and breakdowns of each of the nine states, you can download the full report, along with the press release below.