The government fights forest fires, protects us from foreign invasion, helps people go to college, and so much more. But Americans' opinions of the government are increasingly negative. Professor Suzanne Mettler dives into why people don't believe the government benefits them, even when it does, and how to bridge this disconnect between the government and the American people.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Mettler's new book, The Government-Citizen Disconnect
• Check out her OpEd in the New York Times and her interview on Vox
• Listen to her previous No Jargon episode, Hidden Tax Benefits