A new Pew Research Center study found 53 percent of U.S. adults rated Americans ’ morals and ethics as “bad,” making the U.S. the only country surveyed where that view prevailed. Trust in other people underpins everything from civic life to everyday cooperation , so broad skepticism about neighbors’ character can shape politics, institutions and social cohesion . Pew’s findings add an international benchmark to a long-running American debate about polarization and whether people see opponents—