This week’s reader question is whether the apparent increase in scams, con artists and general dishonesty is making us less trusting. Great question.
It’s hard to know what the impact of perceptions of increasing dishonesty is right now. Two reasons – it requires some pretty dynamic, large-scale longitudinal research, plus how do we disentangle potential scam effects from things that might also affect trust? For example, it’s possible that other events, such as the 2022 Parliament protests, could also affect how much people trust our government.
The OECD Trust Survey in 2021 canvassed trust indicators in New Zealand and another 21 OECD countries. It states “New Zealand is a high trust country”. It may not “feel” high trust that 55% of us trust public services, or that 47% trust Parliament, but we’re an average of about 5% more trusting than the OECD average for public service, and 8% more trusting for Parliament. We are consistently in the mid-top half of OECD nations.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2-8 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
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Esta historia es de la edición September 2-8 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.