{"product_id":"in-praise-of-skepticism-9780197530115","title":"In Praise of Skepticism","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA culture of trust is usually claimed to have many public benefits--by lubricating markets, managing organizations, legitimating governments, and facilitating collective action. Any signs of its decline are, and should be, a matter of serious concern. Yet, In Praise of Skepticism recognizes that trust has two faces. Confidence in anti-vax theories has weakened herd immunity. Faith in Q-Anon conspiracy theories triggered insurrection. Disasters flow from gullible beliefs in fake Covid-19 cures, Madoff pyramid schemes, Russian claims of Ukrainian Nazis, and the Big Lie denying President Biden''s legitimate election. Trustworthiness involves an informal social contract by which principals authorize agents to act on their behalf in the expectation that they will fulfill their responsibilities with competency, integrity, and impartiality, despite conditions of risk and uncertainty. Skeptical judgments reflect reasonably accurate and informed predictions about agents'' future actions based o\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll in all, an excellent contribution to scholarly research on the foundations of trust and a rich addition to the ever-growing body of knowledge on the importance of trust in our society, for which we can thank Pippa Norris. * Severin de Wit *\u003cbr\u003ePippa Norris convincingly shows that our common understanding of trust needs to be challenged normatively by introducing cynicism and credulity, allowing a focus on a healthy dose of skepticism, through which risks are minimized and benefits are maximized * Severin de Wit, Journal of Trust Research *\u003cbr\u003ePippa Norris offers a beautifully written, argued, and documented account of what we need to strengthen democracy. She emphasizes the combination of trustworthiness and healthy skepticism derived from considered judgment and critical deliberation. And she details the preconditions: an open society, a lack of strong ideological convictions, and education. In outlining the possible, Norris makes a reinvigorated democracy more probable. * Margaret Levi, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a landmark study in the discussion of trust as a major concept in political research. Norris differentiates the general concept by introducing cynicism and credulity, allowing a focus on prudence skepticism. Norris shows that there is no evidence for a simple claim of a steady erosion of trust. Rather, skeptical and informed judgments mostly support her trust-as-performance thesis. This book is fun to read and it addresses a wide audience. Political science as a profession will be theoretically enriched. Decision makers and the general public interested in evidence will find many empirical treasures. It is a must-read for all. * Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Professor Emeritus, WZB Berlin Social Science Center and Freie Universitaet Berlin *\u003cbr\u003eFor too long, the scholarly mainstream treated political trust as the quintessential source of democratic legitimacy. Yet, a revisionist view using terms like 'critical' and 'assertive' citizens has challenged the mainstream, arguing that the complacency element in political trust actually undermines democracy. Pippa Norris' In Praise of Skepticism provides to date the firmest conceptual foundation and empirical confirmation of the revisionist camp in political culture research. * Christian Welzel, Political Culture Research Professor, Leuphana University of Lüneburg *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface and Acknowledgements List of Tables and Figures  I: Introduction  1. Two Faces of Trust 2. The General Theory of Skeptical Trust 3. Evidence  II: What Causes Trust?  4. Comparing Trends in Trust Worldwide 5. Competency 6. Integrity and Impartiality  III: Conclusions   7. In Praise of Skepticism  Notes Bibliography  Index","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732644606295,"sku":"9780197530115","price":24.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780197530115.jpg?v=1719997779","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/in-praise-of-skepticism-9780197530115","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}