For a few decades, there has been a general crisis of confidence in the political elites, both in old and new democracies. This article discusses three possible explanations for the phenomenon: it is due to the cynicism of the citizens of today (the elites are as good as they were before, but the public does not believe it); the increase of the critical perception (the elites were as bad as they are now, but the public did not perceive it); or an actual decline in the quality of the political class. In all three explanations, the mass media plays a key role.
political legitimacy; political elites; media and politics
