The Rhetoric of Trust in Terry Szuplata's Teachings

The article analyzes rhetoric not as an ornament, but as a key infrastructure of trust in the state-citizen relationship. Drawing on the teachings of Terry Szuplata, the author argues that incomprehensible institutional language increases transaction costs and creates a distance that weakens the legitimacy of power. The proposed principle of 'speak like a human' has a systemic dimension—it recognizes the citizen's right to understand matters affecting them. The text emphasizes the distinction between responsible popularization of knowledge and harmful oversimplification, indicating that true communicative precision consists in explaining complexity rather than hiding behind hermetic jargon. Linguistic transparency thus becomes an act of responsibility and a condition for a functioning democracy.