ECONOMIC woes, unpopular wars and nuclear meltdowns have eroded public trust in the authorities. Only 40% of citizens in the mostly-rich countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development expressed confidence in their national governments in 2012, down five percentage points from 2007. The drop is big in countries hardest hit by recession: more than 20 percentage points in Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Only 12% of Greeks trust their leaders, compared with almost 80% in Switzerland (where faith in government rose in 2007-2012). Falling public confidence in national government affects not just political stability, but also weakens civic traits such as paying tax and participation in vaccination programmes. The dispiriting data, from a Gallup poll in a report published by the OECDon November 14th, stands in contrast with opinion in big emerging countries, where around 54% of citizens have confidence in their governments.