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Is it the Middle that is Frustrated?

Americans’ Ideological Positions and Governmental Trust

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

James T. Smith

American University

One much-discussed explanation for the largely negative feelings Americans have harbored toward the federal government during the past 30 years or so is that whereas the people prefer centrist policies, elites persist in presenting and debating noncentrist policy solutions. As a result, the argument continues, many people are frustrated by policy debates that seem to be irrelevant to their own concerns and preferences. If this explanation is correct, parties and elites could boost public trust simply by moving closer to the policy center. But as yet, the " frustratedmoderate" thesis has been largely untested. Thus, in this article, using survey research, we determine the extent to which frustration with American government is indeed traceable to the fact that people possess policy positions more moderate than those of politicos. We find the evidence for this proposition to be lacking.

Key Words: ideology • trust • government • moderate

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