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As trust in American institutions declines, citizens must consider new ways to effect change, three academics said in a panel discussion on Democracy of All Thursday night.

The conversation was one of a series of Zoom events presented by University of San Diegos Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Moderated by San Diego Union-Tribune Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jeff Light, the panel considered how to solve the big problems facing democracy.

If you polled the American populace in the mid-1960s, three out of four of Americans will say they trust the government, said Ethan Zuckerman, an associate professor of public policy communication and information at University of Massachusetts Amherst. If you poll Americans now, fewer than one in five will tell you they trust the government.

That mistrust, which took root starting in the 1970s, extends to other major institutions, such as universities, newspapers, churches and corporations, with the exception of the military, he said. Students who are anxious about the future and eager to improve their world are losing hope about their ability to do so through established channels, such as voting and organizing, he said.

At a moment while it feels like all our institutions are failing us, going to students and saying, Its fine, organize for a candidate and vote, even go out in the streets and protest, and maybe youll persuade your political leaders to behave somewhat differently, those promises ring somewhat hollow, he said.

Graduate student and activist Nikayla Jefferson described her dismay at seeing Californias environment eroding amid climate change.

Ive lived in California my whole life, and over the past 24 years, how this state has transformed for the worst, said Jefferson, a writer with the Sunrise Movement. The wildfire and the droughts and the sea level rise. Im a backpacker, and high Sierras feel like a second home to me, and every time I leave I wonder will I be able to come back. The climate crisis is deeply, deeply personal to me.

That crisis is intertwined with threats to civil rights, Jefferson said. She described a drive home from a backpacking trip amid wildfires and observing orange skies, ash falling like rain on my windshield, but also being absolutely terrified of being pulled over by the Highway Patrol, because Im brown, and I have curly hair.

She said she became committed to organizing after concluding that by the time she finished a Ph.D. in environmental policy years from now, there would be little left of the environment to save.

The perception of failing institutions amid a tumultuous period should be placed in perspective, however, said Patricia Mrquez, dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the USD. Unlike her native Venezuela, which she described as a true failed state, many parts of American democracy and government still function as expected.

There are still a lot of things that work, and its important we dont lose faith, and leverage those things to create trust, Mrquez said. It felt like the election last year was a very scary moment. And Jan. 6, that was a wakeup call that something needs to change, and its still very fragile. I know theres voter suppression, but theres still a lot that works.

Zuckerman said he sees an upside to the cynicism; as Americans have become discouraged by the potential for change through legislative means, they have harnessed economic and technical forces to shift social norms and business practices. He cited the MeToo# movement as a groundswell that shone a spotlight on sexual harassment, forcing workplaces that were complacent about the problem to do better.

Trying to make change through technology and markets can be immensely powerful, he said.

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Democracy in the age of distrust - The San Diego Union-Tribune