Only 22% of Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing most of the time — the lowest figure since Pew Research began the systematic measurement in 1958. The number masks extreme partisan divergence: Republicans trust “their” government at 72%, while Democrats have collapsed to 7%.
- Only 22% of Americans trust the federal government to do what is right "most of the time" — the lowest level recorded since Gallup began tracking in 1958.
- The partisan gap has never been wider: 72% of Republicans express trust under a Republican president, while just 7% of Democrats do — a 65-point chasm.
- Trust among independents sits near 15%, making them the key swing constituency whose confidence determines overall perception.
- Institutional distrust now extends beyond government: trust in Congress, the Supreme Court, and federal agencies has each dropped to historic lows within the past decade.
- Despite low overall trust, voters consistently rate issues like Social Security, Medicare, and infrastructure as areas where they still want federal involvement — indicating distrust of process, not necessarily of government functions.
Historical Trust in Government: 1958-2026
| Year | Overall Trust | Context | Administration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 77% | Post-JFK, high consensus | Johnson |
| 1974 | 37% | Watergate nadir | Ford |
| 1984 | 44% | Reagan recovery era | Reagan |
| 1994 | 22% | Clinton-era polarization begins | Clinton |
| 2002 | 60% | Post-9/11 rally | Bush |
| 2010 | 23% | Tea Party era | Obama |
| 2018 | 20% | Trump first term | Trump |
| 2021 | 24% | Biden first year | Biden |
| 2026 | 22% | Trump second term, DOGE | Trump |
The Partisan Mirror
The partisan trust pattern — where each party’s supporters trust the government when their party controls it and distrust it when the opposing party does — has become so reliable that it essentially operates as a structural feature of the overall trust number rather than a measure of genuine civic confidence. The overall 22% figure in 2026 is depressed by Democrats’ 7% trust figure as much as it reflects any universal American disillusionment.
The asymmetry matters politically: Republican voters who trust “their” government are more likely to support its actions (including DOGE cuts), vote to sustain its direction in midterms, and view opposition as illegitimate. Democratic voters who distrust the government at 7% levels are potentially demobilized by fatalism about institutions, but can also be radicalized into opposition-party mobilization if concrete harms from federal policy become tangible in their lives — through Medicaid cuts, Social Security delays, or federal worker layoffs in their communities.
Institutional Trust Collapse: Beyond Government
Media Trust
Trust in national news media stands at 32%, down from 55% in 2000. Trust among Republicans is 14% and among Democrats 52%. The media trust collapse has accelerated the shift to social media as a primary news source and created an environment where official polling and reporting are viewed with deep skepticism by large portions of the electorate.
Congress
Congressional approval stands at 18% overall, the consistent floor it has held for most of the past 15 years. This number rarely moves significantly in either direction regardless of which party controls Congress. The low number functions as a baseline measure of Americans’ structural frustration with the legislative institution rather than a judgment on specific congressional performance.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s approval has fallen to 40% from a historical norm of 50-60%, largely driven by Democrats’ 21% approval following the Dobbs decision. Republicans approve of the Court at 68%. The partisan asymmetry in Supreme Court trust mirrors the federal government pattern but with less extreme divergence.
