The Long-Term Erosion of Trust in the Federal Government

In a democracy that’s been pushed to its limits by competing narratives and unfounded online theories about politicians and political agendas, it’s no wonder that Americans seem to have lost faith in the people running the nation. The National Election Study began surveying the public about its trust in the government back in 1958—a time when about 75% of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing almost always or most of the time. That percentage hasn’t surpassed 30% since 2007.

In 2021, 42% of Americans believed our political system needed to be completely overhauled, and another 43% said it required major changes. In contrast, only 12% to 15% of people in most Western European countries said their political systems should get a complete revamp.

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Aggregate Public Opinion Polls on Trust in U.S. Government

Source: Pew Research Center.