Politicians and political cynicism: More or less?

The assumption that there is an increasing level of cynicism about political systems and distrust of politicians has become a truism in discourse about politics. So accepted have both the concept and the term 'politi cal cynicism' become that any explicit agreement on what the term means and what the concept includes have come to seem unnecessary. It is simply widely accep ted by both politicians and political observers (Putnam, Pharr and Dalton 2000; Young 2000; Burchell and Leigh 2002; Corner and Pels 2003; Lewis 2004) that political cynicism is a problem and that it should be addressed. The decline of con fidence in politicians, legislatures, the government and the public service is common and increasing in the developed world. Surveys in thirteen developed countries (Austria, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States) indicated that only the Neth erlands showed no sign of a decline of confidence in politicians (Pharr and Put nam 2000). The purpose of this article is to examine that trui sm through an analysis of the history of the concept and the validity of its meas urement. It will also draw some conclusions based on the beliefs of some Australian members of parliament about the causes and consequences of political cynicism.