It’s not so much faith in people as tangible examples to draw from.
I think the issue here is that Americans don’t see a law as a true infringement upon them until they experience the consequences of it directly, or think that they’re about to. As someone said on a recent thread, if you want to see how Americans react to laws they don’t agree with, just hop on the freeway.
This is true. I was rabidly pro-cop until my young daughters experienced police state tactics first hand, in their own home, without a warrant that resulted in them both having the crap kicked out of them by brutes going all big and bad because they could. My youngest arrested on a false charge of assaulting a cop that ended up being thrown out of court after a year and tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys fees.
Becoming a victim of corruption changes your views of respect to abject cynicism - which I now hold.
Until it happens to you, most folks do not think such things happen, or only happen to those who 'deserve it'.
My eyes were opened. And the truth of the matter is that when such Statism and corruption arrives on your own doorstep - it's too late for you and yours.