: One central idea of the passage is that Americans' A) wariness of their elected representatives has led to poor judgment on the part of citizens and to inferior candidates for public office. B) distrust of both their fellow citizens and foreigners means that Americans will remain insular and unrefined. C) perceptiveness and independence have enabled Americans to be astute judges of their elected officials. AND) suspiciousness of their politicians has undermined the government and contributed to widespread instability.