Periods of trust in the government are not, perhaps, as easily identified, but they are just as numerous. Following the onset of the Depression and the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a period of restored faith and hope in the government began and continued throughout World War II and after. Prior to that, there was a great deal of trust placed in the federal government throughout much of the first half of the nineteenth century, when continued expansion and progress made the future seem limitless and full of possibilities protected by federal investment and the physical strength of the nation's army. Most recently, the election of President Obama reflected a renewed faith and hope in the government's ability to address meaningful issues.

The stock market crash in 1929 and the resulting Great Depression were events that triggered a large amount of mistrust of the way the federal government had been handled, leaving a lot of room for improvement. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's election in 1932 heralded the beginning of a new trust in government, and has his programs led to noticeable positive effects this trust grew. The same basic type of trust existed for similar reasons in the first half of the nineteenth century, when the westwards expansion of the nation and discoveries of gold and fertile land in the western reaches of the continent was facilitated by a strong yet limited federal government. In more recent years, an economic crisis similar at first to the Great Depression was a major component in the election of President Obama, whose vast social programs and other proposals were seen as ways of strengthening the federal government and making it more responsive to the people. Though this trust may be waning now, it definitely existed during the final phase of the election period and during the President's first few months as the chief executive officer of the nation.

There has never been a complete trust of the federal government on the part of the American people, just as there has never been a complete lack of faith in the government, either. There have definitely been periods, however, when this trust has waxed and waned in response to the government's actions and other external events. The trust and lack thereof have continued, and doubtless will continue, to shape this nation in the ever-changing image not of its leaders, but of its people and their views of these leaders and their decisions.