Disrespectfully Yours

It once was the case that what Simon said, few would question. This season, things seemed different. Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson routinely cut off Simon Cowell, the onetime arbiter of American Idol. The audience that a few years ago was cowed by him now happily booed. Perhaps most embarrassing, Cowell’s pleas notwithstanding, voters refused his entreaties (remember votefortheworst.com?) and steadily advanced Sanjaya Malakar farther than good taste warranted. In fact, it’s not only that Cowell’s wishes were ignored. It was almost as if, whatever he wanted, the public would do the opposite.

As AI goes, so goes America? Leaders at every level – from the president to Boston’s mayor – appear to fetch far less respect these days. Whether the issue is war funding or the tenure of the attorney general, even Republicans are turning on George W. Bush. And Tom Menino’s previously strong hand seems shaky. Once-compliant city councilors now obstreperously critique his every move, whether it’s his plan for rebuilding City Hall, continued funding for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, or approval of a new downtown tower. It seems that while once we used to defer to authority – be it political, cultural, or institutional – today we’re starting to reject it.

A word of warning: We writers spot trends, Faith Popcorn-like, at our peril. A few anecdotes don’t necessarily make something universally true. Still, there are some intriguing data out there. Since 1958, various pollsters have been asking a telling question: “How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right?” It’s one measure of respect for our leaders. Back when the polling began, more than 70 percent of Americans said “always” or “most of the time.” Over the next two decades, that number dropped precipitously, reaching a low of 25 percent by 1980. It bounced up and down a bit in the 1980s and early 1990s, until 1996, when – despite Bill Clinton’s Monica-induced humiliations – the figure started to climb back up, peaking at 56 percent in 2002. Now, however, the numbers are dropping. In 2005, the “always/most of the time” figure was down to 30 percent; last year, it slipped to 27. Yet again, it seems, we no longer trust those we once followed.

That, perhaps, explains why Deval Patrick (whose election campaign itself was a rejection of the state’s political establishment) got not a honeymoon but rather the equivalent of a weekend fling. It may explain why, instead of emulating celebrities, we’re now more willing to put them in jail. And it could be why well-established institutions, from the media to religion, appear on the defensive, no longer sure of where they stand with customers or adherents. It’s the ’60s all over again! Mutiny! Rebellion! Tie-dyed clothes!

Not so fast. There is change in the air, but it’s hardly that remarkable. My guess is that the norm is not the high levels of trust the polls showed in the 1950s and early 2000s (the first a consequence of winning World War II; the second a result of 9/11), but rather the generally consistent distrust people showed from the 1960s through the 1990s.

The reason is that we Americans are – and have been since our nation’s inception – an anti-authoritarian bunch. We’re wary of those in power and cautious about too easily giving assent. After all, we were founded in revolution; our Constitution – with its fragmented powers – is designed to thwart authority; and our culture celebrates independence, free speech, and free thinking. To many conservative philosophers – from Robert Nesbit to William J. Bennett – that’s a problem. They bemoan rampant individualism, lack of respect for tradition, and the erosion of cultural authority, all of which, they believe, undermine society as a whole.

Those worries can make for an interesting philosophical discussion. But, good or bad, it seems that ready and unwavering respect is not the American way. Our regard for leaders and institutions is ephemeral. One big mess-up at the top (and the Iraq war certainly seems in that category), and we turn – not only on the president, but on everyone and everything. That, I think, is what’s happening now. It’s not a revolution – just a much-welcome return to skepticism.

Tom Keane, a Boston-based freelance writer, contributes regularly to the Globe Magazine. E-mail him at tomkeane@tomkeane.com.