The Profits of Distrust: Citizen-Consumers, Drinking Water, and the Crisis of Confidence in American Government (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781009244855)

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.

Author: Manuel P. Teodoro, Samantha Zuhlke, David Switzer
ISBN-10: 100924485X
ISBN-13: 9781009244855
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 08/25/2022
Pages: 300
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.98lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.69d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2023