Apathy Erodes Trust
Jimmie Butler
Trusted Advisor to Government Managers || Strategy - Program & Product Management - Organizational Change - Performance Management || Click ?? to never miss my posts!
Think about what builds trust in a relationship. It’s forged through knowing that the other person is?competent, reliable, and caring. You trust people who listen to your needs, follow through on commitments, and act with integrity. When someone fails to meet those expectations—or worse, doesn’t seem to care—that trust erodes.?
Trust in government works the same way. People judge it by their direct experience with it. Every interaction either strengthens or weakens trust. If citizens endure a frustrating experience, they see a government that doesn’t value them. But when their needs are met with competence, reliability, and care, trust grows.??
Trust is built—or broken—through experiences. Every interaction, big or small, shapes public perception.?
But public trust in the United States federal government has plummeted over the past several decades. According to the Pew Research Center, in 1958, 73% of Americans trusted the federal government to do what is right “most of the time.” By 2024 that figure collapsed to 22%.[i]?
This decline isn’t just politics—it’s frustration with government services. The Connected Government Report found that only 17% of respondents believe the federal government cares about their experience and only 19% believe their local government cares.[ii]?These numbers reflect a growing disconnect between the public and its government.?
What happened???
Poor customer experiences leave citizens feeling unheard and unsupported. While trust is shaped by many factors, for many people, government websites?are?the face of government.?When people struggle to access basic services, they don’t just blame the process—they lose faith in the institution behind it.?
Something needs to change.?
The link between customer experience and public trust is clear—people judge government not by intent, but by their actual experiences. This is why Executive Order 14058 mandates that federal agencies put people at the center of service delivery.
But mandates alone won’t solve this problem.?
Trust in government is built through experience, so agencies must rethink how they deliver services. This means moving beyond process-driven mandates and embracing an outcome-driven, Product-Led, approach that ensures technology serves people, not just policies.?
Deliver what matters.?
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[i]?Pew Research Center. (June 24, 2024).?Public Trust in Government: 1958-2024.?https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/24/public-trust-in-government-1958-2024/.?
[ii]?Salesforce. (2022).?Connected Government Report: The Future of Digital Service.?https://www.salesforce.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/documents/industries/government/v4-Connected-Citizen-Report-e-book.pdf.?
With expertise in strategy, leadership development, and program/product management, I help organizations demonstrate real impact by focusing on what they achieve—not just what they do—driving better data-driven decisions and outcomes.?
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Sr. Vice President, Business Operations at Koniag Government Services
1 天前Fantastic article, Jimmie Butler! I can't wait for the book release!