Politicians poll poorly

By Maurice O. Ndole
The Collegian

An unscientific poll indicates Fresno State students don’t trust politicians.

Twenty-five out of 39 students said they didn’t trust politicians, seven said they trusted them and the remaining seven said they were undecided.

Out of a total of 14 men polled, only one said he trusted politicians. Results indicated women were more spread out in their views.

Political science professor Thomas Holyoke said the results of the poll reflected people’s feelings after allegations of corruption were revealed this year. He said generally politicians could be considered honest.

“They can be trusted in the sense that most of them get into the job with good intentions but because of the pressure of their job they’re forced to deal with lobbyists and interest groups,” Holyoke said.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 81 percent of Americans say lobbyists bribing lawmakers is a common behavior in Congress. Only 11 percent said they saw corruption in Congress as isolated incidents.

Senior political science major Amy Cobb said her perception of politicians depends on the issues. She said she could tell when they were being honest about a subject based on how they responded to questions.

“Politicians have an interest they’re pursuing, either pursuing their own or their constituents interests,” Cobb said.

Campus Peace and Civil Liberties Coalition President Elizabeth Trujillo said she doesn’t trust politicians.

“I don’t trust them because I don’t think this is a true democracy; not everybody gets served” Trujillo said.

Trujillo also said the government ignores social problems.

Political science major Rupert Crump said, “I think they can easily be bought. Some of them take money and that influences how they vote on certain things. A lot of them are not in touch with who they’re representing, so you cannot trust them to lookout for your best interest.”

Corruption charges and ethical questions have rocked Washington after super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to corruption charges.

The negative view of politicians also increased with the ongoing charges against former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) for receiving illegal campaign donations.

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