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Trust is democracy’s most valuable asset; we simply can’t work together to solve large problems without it. Yet, trust is at an all-time low. Polling reveals that a majority of Americans do not trust government or the media, and — perhaps more concerning — they do not trust each other. The Aspen Institute’s program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation argues that when it comes to the trust deficit, the United States has a singular asset to bring to bear: a robust civil society composed of nonprofit organizations, voluntary associations, and agile philanthropies that have a long-standing habit of working together. When citizens band together to solve a problem, they not only get stuff done, but build the social capital and citizen agency that are the remedies to distrust and dysfunction. In short, democracy works, if we work it. Eric Braverman, CEO of the Schmidt Futures Foundation, will also be joining this panel.
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