Why on earth would the citizens place any trust in the two pilfering bed fellows of government and business.

When the largest problem on this planet is government/private banking & multinational pillaging/exploiting business. Along with the stupidity of globalization.

Trust in elected leaders has fallen sharply, a global survey suggests, citing Europe's stuttering response to its debt crisis and the protracted United States budget battle that nearly led the country to default on its debts as key reasons for the drop.

Ahead of the gathering of political and business leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos, the public relations firm Edelman said that only 44 per cent of university-educated people participating in the survey trusted government, down 4 percentage points from the previous year.

As recently as 2011, trust in politicians stood at 52 per cent.

The 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer cited the largest-ever gap in its 14-year history - 14 points - between trust in government and trust in business.

"This is a profound evolution in the landscape of trust from 2009, where business had to partner with government to regain trust," agency CEO Richard Edelman said.

He warned that sinking trust in government could stoke a rise in support for more extreme political parties, particularly in May's election for the European parliament.

The US had a dramatic 16 percentage point fall in the level of political trust to 37 per cent, which Edelman attributed to a number of factors, including the debt ceiling stand-off in congress, the revelations of widespread snooping by the National Security Agency and the calamitous start of President Barack Obama's health reform website.

In Europe, the numbers were similarly dispiriting for elected leaders.

Trust in government plunged in France, where there's growing concern over the inability of President Francois Hollande's government to get the economy going.

According to the survey, only 32 per cent in France trust government, down 17 percentage points.

Yet business leaders shouldn't be too relieved, Edelman cautioned.

Even though the overall level of trust in business held steady at 58 per cent, the survey found that of the eight groups it monitored, only government officials were trusted less than CEOs - and both groups were the only ones distrusted by a majority of respondents.

The most trusted group was academics, followed by technical experts and regular employees.

According to the survey, 84 per cent of the respondents believed that business can pursue its own self-interest while doing work that promotes society as a whole.

The online survey queried 27,000 people in 27 countries, and broke down results between the general population and a smaller sample of university-educated people

Trust in governments fell, making them the world’s least-trusted institutions for a third year, according to a survey published before policy makers and executives gather for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Faith in governments fell to 44 percent from 48 percent in 2013
Governments are struggling to maintain public trust amid the disclosure of U.S. spy programs by former contractor Edward Snowden and record unemployment in Europe.

Is that all it is? Spying? Record unemployment?
How about the private bank fraud? Never mind the existence of private central banking? The mortgage scandals? War mongering? General debauchery. Lying. Lying and more lying.

Richard Edelman somehow thinks this means business must lead the way

However.... Trust in CEOs is at 43 percent, according to the survey.

Bah,hah, hah.....hahahahaha- Is he deluding himself

How about that lying corporate warmongering media?

Confidence in the media slipped 5 percentage points to 52 percent.

And the banks that brought the entire global economy down?

Banks and financial services were the least-trusted industries for the fourth year, scoring 51 percent, up 1 point from 2013, the survey shows.

Banks the least trusted industry. For very good reasons, certainly.

Perhaps the people are finally getting it!

This news breaks as the powers that shouldn't be are readying for their annual pilgrimage to Davos

Leaders prepare for Davos summit


Swiss soldiers outside the Kongress Zentrum, the venue for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.

Keeping the rabble out. While the elites collude in safety and security. Meeting behind closed doors and excluding the electorate. Blatantly demonstrating their contempt for the people.
That's the way you gain trust. Not.