It's called a high-trust society. It is the gift granted to you by your forebearers.

Use it wisely, and preserve it for those after you please.

This type of society worked back in the pre-Regan days because we had institutions and unreasonably violent/crazy people would get carted off before they could get around to hurting others.

I don't think that's true. People who are mentally ill commit violent crimes at about the same rates as their neighbors. Also, crime rates are lower now than when Reagan took office.

My theory is that what really changed our levels of trust was the invention of 24-hour news. People didn't used to have someone in their ear all day reminding them to be afraid. But tons of other things have changed too, so I may be off base.

Involuntary committal without due process was banned by the Supreme Court; that's why many were turned loose.

Funding for CA mental health services was higher as Reagan left office than when he took office.

It continues to work with respect to flamethrowers. Where is all the flamethrower crime? I've not heard of any.

It's a good thing to live in a high-trust environment. You don't need to spend as much time making fences.