@...@Typically, when asked, many people will be reluctant to admit that they would place blind trust in somebody who is in a high-power position// ©Too many stories of politicians and top executives abusing their power run through the media// Making oneself vulnerable to such power holders thus doesn*t seem like the sensible choice//
@...@Rational actor theories agree with this anecdotal wisdom: they suggest that people will be trustworthy toward someone else only if being so is instrumental in maintaining that relationship// Given that powerful people tend to have many partners to choose from, they place © relatively speaking less value in any particular relationship, reducing the likelihood that they will behave in a trustworthy fashion//
@...@In other words, powerful individuals can afford to betray others© they can always find new people to work with// Rational actor theories further assume that the less powerful party to an exchange will predict this behavior and, as a result, place less trust in their more powerful counterpart//