Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg has moved between local government, national politics, military service, and public writing. His record includes two terms as mayor of South Bend, service in the U.S. Navy Reserve, a presidential campaign, and leadership of the U.S. Department of Transportation from 2021 to 2025. Trust: America’s Best Chance examines why confidence in institutions and in one another has weakened, then argues that rebuilding trust is necessary for democratic life and collective action. Published by Liveright, the book connects civic history with Buttigieg's experience in local and national government. His later academic work at Harvard has continued that focus on public leadership, institutions, and the pressures facing American democracy.