Examines why so many Americans do not like, trust, approve of, or support their government.

Introduction: studying the American people's attitudes toward government John R. Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse; Part I. When Do Americans Tend to Be Dissatisfied with Government?: 1. Political trust revisited: déjà vu all over again? Jack Citrin and Samantha Luks; 2. We're all in this together: the decline in trust in government, 1958-96 John R. Alford; 3. Were the halcyon days really golden? Attitudes toward the political system, 1945-65 Stephen Earl Bennett; 4. The origins and consequences of public views about government Virginia Chanley, Wendy Rahn and Thomas Rudolph; Part II. With Which Government Institutions Do American Tend to Be Satisfied?: 5. Public confidence in the leaders of American governmental institutions Lilliard E. Richardson Jr., David Houston and Chris Sissie Hadjiharalambous; 6. Linking presidential and congressional approval during unified and divided government Jeffrey L. Bernstein; 7. Is Washington really the problem? Eric M. Uslaner; 8. Explaining public support for devolution: the role of political trust Marc J. Hetherington and John D. Nugent; Part III. Do Actions on the Part of Politicians Cause Americans to Be Dissatisfied with Government?: 9. On red capes and charging bulls: how and why conservative politicians and interest groups promoted political anger Amy Fried and Douglas B. Harris; 10. A reassessment of who's to blame: a positive case for the public evaluation of Congress David W. Brady and Sean M. Theriault; 11. Sr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: public views of debate in the political system Carolyn M. Funk; Part IV. How Is Dissatisfaction with Government Measured and Incorporated into Theory?: 12. Trust in federal government: the phenomenon and its antecedents Diana Owen and Jack Dennis; 13. The psychology of public dissatisfaction with government Tom R. Tyler; 14. The means is the end John R. Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse.