Trust in government now exceeds the public’s faith in business

Trust in government officials is soaring, and that is not a typo. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, 13,200 respondents in 11 countries say they now trust government more than business, the media, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a switch from the past two years, when business was the most trusted institution, according to a survey conducted by Edelman, a public relations firm. Amid the twin crises of a health pandemic and a massive economic rout, people are worried about money, healthcare, and jobs—things that governments are best placed to put up the resources to address en masse (see the $3 trillion the US government is borrowing).