Americans Trust in Federal Government Sinks to New Depths
A recent Gallup poll indicates that public trust in all three branches of the U.S. federal government has reached record or near-record lows. Declines are particularly sharp regarding the government's ability to manage domestic and international affairs.
Why it matters
Waning institutional trust reflects deep-seated political polarization and dissatisfaction with governance, which can impact policy implementation and social stability.
All three branches at low points; record lows trust government to handle domestic, international problems
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Five measures of trust in the federal government are at low points in Gallup's trends. One-third or less of U.S. adults have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the executive (33%) and legislative branches (28%) and the federal government's ability to handle both international and domestic problems (both at 33%). More, 46%, trust the judicial branch, but its trust has never been lower than now.
These results are from Gallup's annual Governance poll, conducted Sept. 1-17. Gallup has asked Americans about trust in government institutions since 1972, including every year since 2000.
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