How do institutions vital to the operation of a democratic society lose trust—and can it be restored? Government ineffectiveness can diminish public confidence. Representational failures erode the popular will of the majority. These and other vectors of mistrust are pressing problems that lack easy solutions. Still, the erosion of trust—and of democracy—may be redressable under the design of state constitutions and state institutions. State constitutions embody a deep commitment to popular sovereignty, majority rule, and political equality. They have been repeatedly rewritten and amended to empower popular majorities, and their commitment to the “democracy principle” can inform a number of contemporary conflicts. Actions at the state level can provide otherwise elusive opportunities to rebuild trust.