How did the Gulags affect relationships between the government and the people?

The Gulags were the forced labor prison camps that existed in the Soviet Union. Criminals, political dissidents, clergy, and suspected enemies of the state were sent to these camps.  Because of the harsh nature of the camps, the Gulags had a very negative effect on the relationship between the people and the government.  The system created a sense of fear of the government, which it was intended to do.  As a citizen, you could be sent to the camps for arbitrary reasons and, for this reason, many came to fear the dictators of the Soviet Union.  The Gulags also created a culture of mistrust in the Soviet Union.  By using fear to consolidate power, a government is at constant risk of uprisings and insurrections.  This causes the government to act even more irrationally. This is a cycle that causes less freedom and prosperity for the people.  In general, the Gulags caused the Russians to abhor and distrust their government.