The Profits of Distrust
Citizen-Consumers, Drinking Water, and the Crisis of Confidence in American Government
Published on 25. August 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
332 pages
978-1-009-24485-5 (ISBN)
Description
The burgeoning bottled water industry presents a paradox: Why do people choose expensive, environmentally destructive bottled water, rather than cheaper, sustainable, and more rigorously regulated tap water? The Profits of Distrust links citizens' choices about the water they drink to civic life more broadly, marshalling a rich variety of data on public opinion, consumer behavior, political participation, geography, and water quality. Basic services are the bedrock of democratic legitimacy. Failing, inequitable basic services cause citizen-consumers to abandon government in favor of commercial competitors. This vicious cycle of distrust undermines democracy while commercial firms reap the profits of distrust - disproportionately so from the poor and racial/ethnic minority communities. But the vicious cycle can also be virtuous: excellent basic services build trust in government and foster greater engagement between citizens and the state. Rebuilding confidence in American democracy starts with literally rebuilding the basic infrastructure that sustains life.
Reviews / Votes
'Teodoro, Zuhlke, and Switzer make a compelling case that trust in water and trust in government are intimately linked. The implications for water professionals are profound. When we excel, we advance both public health and civic engagement. When we fail - or when others intentionally feed distrust - the result is disillusionment.' David B. LaFrance, Chief Executive Officer, American Water Works Association 'The Profits of Distrust demonstrates a far-reaching consequence of America's infrastructure crisis: as pipes crumble, so does the public's confidence in government. What's more, the authors show that distrust is contagious and leads those who are most politically marginalized to rely on more expensive, and less trustworthy, private providers for essential public services. This enlightening book links the mechanics of service delivery to our democratic ideals, and suggests how both might be repaired.' Megan Mullin, Professor of Environmental Politics, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University 'Water is the stuff of life, but it's also the river that runs through every corner of politics. In this fascinating new book, Teodoro, Zuhlke, and Switzer explore the values that shape the big decisions about water, from the distribution of one of government's most important resources to the big puzzles of inequality that play themselves out in water policy. This is a great book about how politics affects water and how water affects politics.' Donald F. Kettl, Professor Emeritus and Former Dean, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland '... a judicious, important contribution to the literature on public policy. ... Highly recommended.' D. L. Feldman, ChoiceMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises; 46 Tables, black and white; 64 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
445 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-24485-5 (9781009244855)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Manuel P. Teodoro | Samantha Zuhlke | David Switzer
The Profits of Distrust
Citizen-Consumers, Drinking Water, and the Crisis of Confidence in American Government
Book
08/2022
Cambridge University Press
€108.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Manuel P. Teodoro | Samantha Zuhlke | David Switzer
The Profits of Distrust
Citizen-Consumers, Drinking Water, and the Crisis of Confidence in American Government
E-Book
08/2022
Cambridge University Press
€28.99
Available for download
Persons
Manuel P. Teodoro is Associate Professor at the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin, Madison. He works at the intersection of politics, policy, and management, with a focus on water in the United States. His research involves utility governance, regulation, and environmental justice. A prolific speaker, blogger, and author of Bureaucratic Ambition (2011), Teodoro has advised water sector leaders for more than twenty-five years.
Content
1. Basic services and trust in government: the glorious, tragic legacy of America's water systems; 2. The profits of distrust: a political theory of the citizen-consumer; 3. (Dis)trust at the tap: experience and performative trust; 4. Hyperopia and performative trust: how failure over there shapes behavior right here; 5. Speaking up or opting out: moral trust, voice, and exit; 6. Geographies of alienation: the institutional roots of distrust; 7. When trust pays: the virtuous cycle of trust, participation, and service quality; 8. Basic services and rebuilding legitimacy: the water-trust cycle, from virtuous to vicious and back again; The plan: better water for a more perfect union; Appendix A: survey methodology; Appendix B: kiosk data collection and validation; Appendix C: Statistics.