A December 2025 Economist/YouGov poll shows a durable, cross‑partisan skepticism toward elites and experts: majorities endorse statements like 'elites are out of touch' (82%) and prefer 'common sense' over expert analysis (63%). Democrats remain more institutionally supportive than Republicans, but many anti‑establishment attitudes (e.g., belief decisions happen behind closed doors) are widespread across the electorate.
— If a majority of voters now distrust expertise while still favoring institutions in different ways, policymakers will face a legitimacy dilemma that reshapes who gets to define policy expertise, how public consultation is structured, and how technocratic reforms are marketed.
2026.03.05
60% relevant
By contrasting 'Eastern realism' with 'Western pretension,' the essay provides anecdotal evidence that large groups in the former Eastern bloc distrust expert narratives and elites — a cultural current that feeds a broader anti‑expert consensus in politics and media consumption.
2026.03.05
90% relevant
Yglesias argues that when expert communities share similar values that differ from the wider public (e.g., academics’ left‑ward skew vs. plumbers’ conservatism), trust erodes and policy debates (heat pumps, Covid, climate) become politicized — a direct instantiation of the dynamics captured by the 'Broad Anti‑Expert Consensus' idea.
2025.12.30
100% relevant
Economist/YouGov December 26–29, 2025 poll: 82% 'elites out of touch'; 63% 'common sense more important than expert analysis'; partisan splits on institutions (78% of Democrats endorse institutional necessity vs 47% of Republicans).
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