• • October 21, 2025
  • 18:00
• -
• • October 21, 2025
  • 19:30

On both sides of the Atlantic, trust in institutions – ranging from governments and political parties to the media and science organizations – is declining. Democratic decision-making becomes harder and populist forces gain ground. In Germany, confidence in the federal government has fallen to just over a third of the population, while in the United States, trust in Congress, the courts, and the media has reached historic lows. This crisis of trust fuels grievances and polarization, threatening democratic norms and social cohesion. How should we interpret these transatlantic trust trends? What are the root causes of this loss of confidence in institutions? How do the dynamics differ between Germany and the United States, and where do we see common patterns? And what innovative approaches offer hope for bridging divides and restoring trust? We are looking forward to discussing these and further questions with Bärbel Hestert-Vecoli, Managing Director of Edelman Germany’s Corporate Reputation Practice, Frederick J. Riley, Executive Director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, and Prof. Dr. Jared Sonnicksen, Professor of Political Systems at the Institute of Political Science at RWTH Aachen University. The event will take place in English and in cooperation with AmerikaHaus NRW e.V. and Edelman. It is supported by The State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia. To register to participate, please click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E5hcAXcVSae510NHj7hDVg