More than half of residents surveyed in three Michigan communities believe significant events occur without public knowledge-a sentiment of government suspicion closely tied to conspiratorial thinking, according to a University of Michigan policy brief.
The study from the Michigan Metro Area Communities Study, supported by the Center for Racial Justice at U-M's Ford School of Public Policy, explores the prevalence of government suspicion in Flint, Grand Rapids and Ypsilanti.
Past research has shown government suspicion is associated with race and education. While the study supports this relationship, the findings point to a novel reason for this association: proximity to, and familiarity with, government harms.
Communities that have faced systemic mistreatment-often along racial and socioeconomic lines-are more likely to develop skeptical views of both local and federal government.
"For many, this suspicion is grounded in historical realities lived by their communities, such as the Flint water crisis and the U.S. Public Health Service Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee," said Franshelly Martínez-Ortiz, a doctoral student in political science and public policy who co-authored the report.
The findings suggest that for many, skepticism toward government is not due to mere paranoia or a lack of education, but a response to lived experiences of systemic injustice. This distrust has tangible consequences: Those with lower government suspicion were significantly more likely to support vaccines (98% vs. 80%) and to express intent to vote in the November 2024 election (87% vs. 71%).
"Recognizing the impact of historical injustices is crucial in fostering democratic participation and public confidence in government institutions," said Mara Cecilia Ostfeld, research director at the Center for Racial Justice.
