High trust acts as an invisible, low-cost enforcement mechanism, reducing the societal resources needed for formal control. In contrast, low-trust environments require far more expensive and intrusive systems to achieve similar order.

High trust societies don't need big government. Low trust societies demand big government.

Look at this list and ask yourself if there are any leftist/progressive policies that advance high trust.

1. High generalized interpersonal trust
People broadly assume that "most people can be trusted" (even strangers), rather than defaulting to suspicion. This is the core defining feature, often measured in surveys where >50–60% of respondents agree that others are trustworthy.

2.Low crime rates, especially violent and property crime
Streets feel safe; people leave bikes unlocked, doors unbolted, or items unattended in public without much worry. Trust correlates strongly with lower perceived and actual crime.

3. Reduced need for extensive security measures
As you noted: fewer police per capita (or less visible/punitive policing), lighter everyday security (minimal need for barred windows, heavy locks, private guards, surveillance cameras everywhere, or gated communities), and less reliance on personal vigilance against theft or fraud.

4. Lower litigation and fewer courts/civil disputes
People resolve disagreements informally or through norms rather than lawsuits; contracts are often honored on handshake or reputation rather than airtight legal enforcement. Lower overall court caseloads relative to population.

5. Lower transaction costs in economy and daily life
Business deals move faster with less need for lawyers, detailed contracts, escrow, or constant verification. People repay loans, honor verbal agreements, and cooperate without heavy monitoring.

6. High civic honesty and norm compliance
Low corruption (e.g., few bribes for basic services), high voluntary tax compliance, people return lost wallets/items, and follow rules (traffic, queuing, littering) even without enforcement.

7. Strong spontaneous cooperation and voluntary associations
Thriving civil society: people readily join clubs, volunteer groups, charities, or community efforts without coercion. Large-scale organizations form efficiently without relying heavily on family ties or top-down control.

8. High trust in institutions and systems
Greater confidence in government, police, courts, media, schools, and experts — not blind faith, but a baseline assumption they act competently and fairly most of the time.

9. Political and social stability
Acceptance of election results, peaceful transfers of power, and willingness to compromise or accept policies for the common good, even if not personally ideal.

10. Broader "radius of trust" beyond family/clan
Trust extends to strangers, out-groups, and society at large (rather than being limited to kin, ethnicity, or close networks), enabling larger-scale coordination and impersonal markets.

11. Orderly, efficient, and considerate public behavior
People consider the impact of their actions on others (e.g., quiet public spaces, cleaning up after themselves, reliability in daily interactions), creating a sense of shared moral consensus.

12. Psychological and social benefits
Greater sense of safety, lower stress from mistrust, higher life satisfaction, and more willingness to help strangers or invest in public goods.