The basic thesis we will explore is that failure of government performance may erode confidence in government institutions. The effect may not be immediate, but it could be expected to occur if policy performance deteriorated or remained low over successive administrations. For example, if government was responsible for providing public services such as medical care, unemployment insurance, or pension benefits, and some or all of these services deteriorated or failed to meet public demands, a growing discontent with government might result. If services were not improved over time, the public might begin to question the institutional arrangements that exist to deal with the problems.