Beyond the ballot: The slow, urgent work of rebuilding American trust

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In a world of instant gratification, Americans have embraced a dangerous myth: that electoral outcomes alone can heal our divided nation. We tell ourselves that our disdain for the other side is justified, that winning an election can solve our deepest problems, then harmony can prevail. But this is a fairy tale that obscures the real work ahead.

The reality we face today is a fractured American social landscape, where trust has eroded to devastating levels. According to Pew Research, half of Americans trust few or none of their neighbors, while Gallup reports plummeting confidence across nearly all institutions — from the federal government to churches and schools. This massive trust gap blocks our path forward, undermining the very foundations of democratic society.

Yet within this challenging landscape, there is reason for hope. Most Americans genuinely want to work together to reduce division, build trust and preserve our democracy. We often don’t know where to begin.

The answer lies not in quick fixes or electoral victories, but in the patient, persistent work of community builders who are already weaving new connections across divides. Their work reminds us that rebuilding trust happens gradually, through countless small acts of bridge-building and cooperation.

We can look to a group of teens in Pelican Rapids who call themselves The Youths. Their hometown of 2,500 faces changing demographics, and they were looking for a place to gather across their differences, to build community and belonging. They teamed up with the mayor and local civic leaders to renovate an old building that will house The Bridge Center, a shared space that welcomes young people from all backgrounds.

Or consider Upstream Minnesota, a nonprofit that recognizes that political debates around the environment highlight our differences, overlooking the many ways we align and the many ways people of all beliefs and backgrounds take action daily to care for our shared places. So Upstream is taking action to share these stories of common connection. They host backyard conversations in changing and divided communities. They shift the narrative on how we nurture our shared love of place and, in doing so, they cultivate trust and connection.

Take a look at Madison Mercantile. After a career as an officer in the Army National Guard, Kris Shelstad moved back to her small town of Madison, Minn., and opened an art gallery and coffee shop that’s become a nonpartisan gathering spot. Community members use the space to host music nights, convene book clubs and co-work. On any day there, you are as likely to run into the local Republican Committee leader as a longtime Democratic state representative.

Or consider the Minnesota-based Move for America Fellows, emerging leaders who have committed a year of service through AmeriCorps to build community in cities and small towns. A recent Fellow organized block parties and encouraged neighbors to get to know each other’s names. Another Fellow promoted artists who practice their culture’s traditional crafts. A third recruited and trained hundreds of volunteers to support an after-school youth program.

Some may say that these small acts of community-building mean little in the face of our seemingly intractable problems, but we can only move at the speed of trust. Right now that trust has crumbled. We must set about rebuilding it.

Here’s what it will take: each of us and all of us, for the long haul. Get involved in your community where not everyone looks or thinks like you. Lead a class on your favorite subject at the community center. Fix a neighbor’s snowblower. Stand up to hurtful comments. Read something that challenges your perspective. Attend a community event outside your comfort zone. Talk to someone new. Embrace the slow persistence of positive community-building.

Libby Stegger is the founder and executive director of Move for America, a nonprofit that trains young people to bridge divides and strengthen civic dialogue.