Washington's ability to trust, and be trusted
Anyone seeking an object lesson on the difficulty of restoring trust need look no further than today鈥檚 Washington. On a number of fronts, from basic governance to political dealmaking, distrust of leaders 鈥� and between leaders 鈥� has outpaced an ability to overcome it.
On Thursday, for example, Republican House Speaker John Boehner said the GOP majority was unlikely to pass an immigration bill because of 鈥渨idespread doubt鈥� that the Obama administration could be trusted to enforce immigration laws 鈥� despite President Obama鈥檚 record on deportations and stronger border security.
Both Congress and Mr. Obama also face deep public distrust about the National Security Agency鈥檚 electronic surveillance 鈥� and not only among Americans. The president has scrambled to patch up relations with Germany after reports of the NSA tapping the phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Only 5 percent of Germans now believe Obama鈥檚 promise to stop such eavesdropping. Secretary of State John Kerry went to Berlin last week to try to make amends.
In his State of the Union message last month, Obama talked a lot about trust. On the NSA snooping, he said, 鈥渋t is not enough for leaders to say 鈥榯rust us, we won鈥檛 abuse the data we collect.鈥� 鈥� So now he鈥檚 trying to make solid reforms.
More generally, he made a pledge 鈥� much like his speeches as a candidate in 2008 鈥� to rebuild 鈥渢he trust of the people who sent us here.鈥�
To be sure, Congress and Obama do have a recent track record of getting along. A giant farm bill has passed Congress. And in December, a temporary budget bill was approved to keep the federal government going for another year. But most other legislation has stalled.
In any climate of distrust, actions must speak more loudly than words. The president, for example, is not simply trusting Iran in a deal signed in November. The pact includes concrete steps to alter the Iranian nuclear program. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing that we鈥檙e doing that is based on trust,鈥� says Mr. Kerry. 鈥淓verything that we鈥檙e doing is based on verification, on specific steps.鈥�
Action also speaks loudly in reform of the Internal Revenue Service. The agency鈥檚 targeting of certain groups based on their political views has led a new commissioner, John Koskinen, to pledge that 鈥渢he proof will be in the pudding鈥� in winning back the public鈥檚 trust in an evenhanded IRS.
Trust in Congress is at a historic low. And nearly two-thirds of independent voters now disapprove of Obama鈥檚 handling of his job as president. A poll last year found more than half of Americans do not believe the president is 鈥渉onest and trustworthy.鈥� Much of the current distrust is caused by the fumbled start to Obamacare sign-ups and a reversal of the president鈥檚 pledge that Americans can keep their current health insurance.
Recovery from mistrust can take many forms. Offering sincere apologies for mistakes is one way. Making amends helps. Avoiding promises that may not be kept is another.
Trust relies to a large degree on mutual empathy. In Washington, where power is fragmented and personal relationships are often missing, empathy must be consciously built up.
The now-famed negotiator George Mitchell tells a story of the day he was elected as Senate majority leader in 1994 and reached out to minority leader Bob Dole. He went to Mr. Dole鈥檚 office and made this promise: 鈥淚鈥檒l never embarrass you, I won鈥檛 insult you, I鈥檒l never surprise you.鈥�
鈥淲e shook hands and for six years, I as majority leader and he as minority leader, never once did a harsh word pass between us in public or in private,鈥� Mr. Mitchell told Charlie Rose in an interview last year.
Such lessons must be remembered in today鈥檚 Washington. Once lost, trust takes hard work to restore.
