Legacy city residents’ lack of trust in their governments: An examination of Flint, Michigan residents’ trust at the height of the water crisis

We document the level of trust that Flint, Michigan residents had in their local and state governments during the water crisis, a series of government failures that resulted in lead and other contaminants in the city’s water system. We then compare residents’ level of trust to that of nonresidents and use regression analyses to test whether a lack of trust in government predicts the extent to which Flint residents are considering leaving the city. Lastly, we use content analysis to explore measures to restore residents’ trust. We find that trust in government is very low, a lack of trust predicts considering leaving, and it will be difficult for policymakers to restore trust. Distrust in government matters because it could hinder future planning and recovery efforts and contribute to additional population losses.