> and yet people are willing to believe police are corrupt but so unwilling to believe it about politicians My impression of most citizens is the exact opposit

> and yet people are willing to believe police are corrupt but so unwilling to believe it about politicians My impression of most citizens is the exact opposite: that police are seen as mostly good people stuck with a hard job (and a few bad apples here and there), and that politicians are seen as two-faced snake-oil peddlers (with a few good apples here and there). My take is a little more nuanced, in that I'm more interested in good and bad systems and institutions, rather than good or bad people (as if there's such a thing).