What is trust, really? Why does it feel like it’s slipping through our fingers? And can we rebuild it before it’s too late?

In this powerful solo episode of Trust Be Told, host Richard Roman breaks down the meaning, history, and urgency of trust across three key dimensions: psychological, interpersonal, and institutional. Drawing on cutting-edge research, historical context, and current events (from AI deepfakes and campus protests to climate disasters and election mistrust), this episode explores why trust is not just a personal virtue but a public necessity.

Richard explores why trust is a form of accepted vulnerability, how trust in American institutions has fluctuated over the past 80 years, and why 2025 represents a critical turning point in the erosion (or restoration) of public trust.

Whether you're a policymaker, educator, organizational leader, or simply someone trying to make sense of this fractured moment, this episode offers a roadmap for restoring what’s been broken.

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Keywords: trust, democracy, institutional trust, public trust, government, AI and trust, misinformation crisis, civic engagement, higher education

What does trust really do?

Host Richard Roman unpacks three groundbreaking studies that explore how trust operates across political systems, workplace dynamics, and everyday human connections.

From the rise of political extremism to the success (or failure) of high-performing teams, and to the surprising power of a seven-minute conversation with a stranger, this episode explores how trust shapes our beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. You’ll learn why trust isn’t just a “soft skill,” but a strategic, measurable force that influences everything from democratic participation to collaboration and empathy.

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Referenced Studies:

Dirks, K. T. (1999). The effects of interpersonal trust on work group performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(3), 445–455.

Ghazi, S. H. (2025, March 24). Can we reduce political antagonism by promoting trust? Greater Good Magazine.

Broockman, D. E., & Kalla, J. L. (2016). Durably reducing transphobia: A field experiment on door-to-door canvassing. Science, 352(6282), 220–224.

Why doesn’t trust in government rise when things improve? What if we've been measuring the wrong thing all along?

In this solo episode of Trust Be Told, host Richard Roman unpacks a groundbreaking study from 2019 that reframes political trust, not as approval or confidence, but as a willingness to accept vulnerability.

If you're a researcher, public leader, or trust-focused changemaker, this episode provides a practical framework for understanding (and measuring) trust more precisely.

Read more and subscribe on Substack: https://rjoroman.substack.com.

Referenced Study: Hamm, J. A., Smidt, C., & Mayer, R. C. (2019). Understanding the psychological nature and mechanisms of political trust. PLOS ONE, 14(5), e0215835. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215835