‘God Give us Men’ Attitudes Towards Parliamentary Representation in Australia, 1929–1933

Abstract

It has become commonplace to assert that levels of political trust are at an all-time low in mass western democracies. This article tests that assertion by examining more than 400 letters written to leading politicians between 1929 and 1933. The predominantly middle-class letter-writers complained that politicians as a class were dishonest, self-interested and greedy, and failed to keep their promises. Many writers were uncertain about their own role in political processes and disparaging of fellow voters, but others revealed a deep engagement with political culture. The article finds that, just as today, some voters in this period sought politicians they could look up to and trust. This art..