You are correct. I meant trust in a sense that there is an understanding between political opponents that there is a common goal to work for the benefit of soci

You are correct. I meant trust in a sense that there is an understanding between political opponents that there is a common goal to work for the benefit of society. Not that you can skip checks and balances. It is indeed a problem that control mechanisms don't seem to work for executive organs. I am not located in the US and there is no law that declares it mandatory in my country, but there is a political culture that a successor administration doesn't reverse the policies the predecessor has enacted in the previous term. That is to give it a chance to have an effect. There can be exceptions of course but there is a general understanding and it is regarded as good conduct to adhere to it. Honor amongst thieves perhaps, but it doesn't have to always end in nepotism.