Ronald Reagan used to say that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Last November, Pew Research revealed that only 19% of Americans still trust the government. And 55% are convinced that “ordinary Americans” would do a better job of solving national problems than the elected politicians. Elsewhere in the West, the situation isn’t much different. Research by the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP) in the Netherlands indicates similar distrust towards the government, with people complaining that politicians do not listen to ordinary citizens. 55% state that they want to have a bigger say. The SCP-study also reveals, however, that, while trust in politicians is dwindling, trust in democracy is rising. People want more direct democracy. It is only normal that citizens want to become more involved when they are convinced that they would do a better job at tackling the nation’s problems than the present leadership. The West’s angry voters may be sick of politics, but they are not sick of democracy. Their anger is a sign of hope. It gets them moving. It inspires them. All over the West – from America to Europe to