Do you trust most of the people you encounter?

Trust fall by klndonnelley via Flickr

"Americans don't trust each other anymore," writes Connie Cass of the Associated Press.

We're not talking about the loss of faith in big institutions such as the government, the church or Wall Street, which fluctuates with events. For four decades, a gut-level ingredient of democracy — trust in the other fellow — has been quietly draining away.

These days, only one-third of Americans say most people can be trusted. Half felt that way in 1972, when the General Social Survey first asked the question.

Forty years later, a record high of nearly two-thirds say "you can't be too careful" in dealing with people.

Today's Question: Do you trust most of the people you encounter?

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