The two kinds of logic meaning about "degree"

Hope someone can help me to test the intrinsic logic of language.
Thank you for your assistence.

one degree that shows the action unto what degree:

The minister expressed a degree of optimism about the state of the economy.
------to express optimism reaching as far as a certain degree
I think that is true to a degree.
She is untidy to a degree.

another degree that shows under what degree in which the action is made:
To what degree can they be trusted?
-----the degree shows the subject or activity in which the action is made, so in this way the action must used with "can"
They cannot be trusted in the slightest degree.
-----the slightest degree in which they cannot be trusted