Anti-Politics and the Age of Disappointment
What a Chilean president, RFK Jr., and vaccine myths reveal about the modern trust gap—and how effective communication can help close the distance
What happens when citizens expect more than their government, no matter how well-run, can realistically deliver?
That question is at the heart of Why Everyone Thinks Their Government Has Failed, a piece that anchors this week’s TL;dr. It offers a look at why incumbents are falling out of favor, regardless of party affiliation, and why even competent governance feels inadequate. Moisés Naím calls it the Lagos paradox: governments do deliver, but not enough to match the rising expectations of citizens—expectations shaped by algorithm-fed comparisons and constant digital discontent. As expectations soar and delivery stays steady (or slips), trust fractures.
The widening gap between what people want and what institutions can realistically offer casts a long shadow over the rest of this week’s reading.
It’s also exactly the kind of challenge I’ll be addressing in Friday’s newsletter, where I’ll introduce a new series: The Five Elements of High-Performance Communication. It’s designed to help local governments rebuild trust by aligning messaging with real-world outcomes, and by making storytelling a strategic tool, not just an afterthought.
It’s a timely launch, because navigating the expectations crisis isn’t just about fixing services. It’s about how we explain, frame, and connect the work governments do to the people they serve.
Why Everyone Thinks Their Government Has Failed
by Moisés Naím, The Atlantic
Voter frustration isn’t just a red state, blue state, or even U.S.-only thing—it’s a global pattern. Naím argues a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment is sweeping through democracies of all stripes, driven not so much by what governments are doing wrong, but by what voters now expect. Social media and algorithm-fed comparisons only widen the gap, creating a global “expectations crisis” that democratic institutions aren’t equipped to handle.
Naím calls it the Lagos paradox, after a story from former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, who lost voter support in a neighborhood where his administration had delivered major infrastructure—but the new homes didn’t include parking.
Governments appear increasingly incapable, regardless of actual performance. The ensuing trust vacuum has consequences: populist leaders surge, democratic institutions erode, and we enter what Naím suggests could be a new era of anti-politics.
“Public sectors the world over may be structurally unable to fulfill voters’ expectations … not because government-service provision is bad, but because the growth of expectations could well have escaped the capacities of governments to keep up.”
Razing HHS to Make America Healthy Again
by Grayson Logue, The Dispatch
That sense of unmet expectations collides with reality inside the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where RFK Jr. is now attempting to rebuild the house he spent decades criticizing. His Make America Healthy Again movement promised bold reform. What we’ve gotten so far is deep staffing cuts, chaos, and confusion. Programs targeting chronic disease, smoking, and vaccine access have been gutted, with little clarity on how any of this makes the system better. It’s a case study in what happens when disruption gets ahead of governance, and when populist energy meets institutional complexity.
“Experience in criticizing … is not sufficient preparation for implementing the myriad reforms our institutions require.”
Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism. So, What Does?
by Katelyn Jetelina, Andrea Tamayo, and Thomas Farley
As RFK Jr. reshapes HHS, one of the ripple effects is a new CDC study revisiting the long-debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. The science has been clear for decades: they don’t. But now, resources are being diverted to chase political ghosts, while parents are still left waiting for real answers about autism’s root causes. This article from Your Local Epidemiologist breaks down the genetics, the environmental factors, and the diagnostic changes that explain the rise in autism rates, along with the opportunity costs of indulging misinformation.
“Every dollar spent chasing that disproven link is a dollar not spent on research that could help parents and children.”
⬆️ Upward and Onward
This Wednesday, April 16, at 11 am CDT, I’ll host another GGF Office Hours for subscribers. It’s a chance to swap ideas, ask questions, or just listen in on what’s working (and what isn’t) in the world of local government communications. Register here for the Zoom call.
And don’t miss Friday’s launch of The Five Elements of High-Performance Communication, a new series designed to help governments close the trust gap through smart strategy, effective storytelling, and communication that connects with residents.