Ann Arbor Times

More than half of the residents surveyed in Flint, Grand Rapids, and Ypsilanti, Michigan, believe that significant events occur without public knowledge. This sentiment of government suspicion is closely linked to conspiratorial thinking, according to a policy brief from the University of Michigan.

The study was conducted by the Michigan Metro Area Communities Study with support from the Center for Racial Justice at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy. It explores how government suspicion is prevalent in these communities.

Previous research has indicated that government suspicion correlates with race and education levels. While this study supports those findings, it also introduces a new reason for this association: proximity to and familiarity with government harms.

Communities that have experienced systemic mistreatment along racial and socioeconomic lines are more likely to develop skeptical views toward both local and federal governments. "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 skepticism toward government among many individuals is not due to paranoia or lack of education but rather 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 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.