But by the same token it would also need to distinguish more sharply than is customary in modern political ideologies between trust in the good intentions of more or less professional politicians and trust in their practical capacities. Trust in either might often be an agreeable start. But if it is necessary to choose between the two, it is wiser in most circumstances (the more so, the more democratic or legitimate the polity in question) to opt for trust in practical capacity. Politics is not on the whole good for the character; and it is unlikely that there really are sound reasons for viewing the intentions of most of those who have devoted decades to it with unreserved trust. But this provides no reason fox welcoming the chance of being ruled by the well intentioned but hopelessly ineffectual.

XREF: Inverts the common democratic intuition that voters should trust leaders' good intentions and moral character.

Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking…, loc. 1263