Nearly two-thirds of Americans do not trust the federal government, a share that has increased over the past two years and marked a period of nearly all U.S. low confidence in the country’s political institutions.
Survey A partnership for the public service A sample of 800 American adults this spring found that only 23% trust the government, down from 35% in 2022. The results show that more Americans view the federal government as incompetent, and only 15% believe it transparent.
“The decline in public trust in the federal government – our most important democratic institution – is alarming,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Public Service Partnership, a non-partisan, non-profit good organization. government.
The federal government is distinguished, by design and function, as a largely apolitical body composed of millions of workers who carry out policies set by the president or Congress. Federal employees are hired on the basis of merit, although the upper echelons of government agencies and departments are headed by political appointees.
There are around 4,000 appointees in addition to their colleagues out of a workforce of 2.2 million. As early as the 1800s, workers were legally protected against cronyism and nepotism, although even the the founding fathers recognized the need for government resemble and serve his people, above all.
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Despite these measures intended to preserve a nonpartisan workforce, trust in government has been declining since the 1960s. Experts worry that increased distrust could impact voting and engagement, ultimately deterring citizens to engage and provide feedback to their government.
It also comes at a time when federal agencies are trying to use modern technology to improve their relationships with constituents through more user-friendly websites, digital filing systems and in-person recruiting. This appears to have had an impact, given that about half of those surveyed said they were satisfied with their personal interactions with the government.
However, the concerted efforts made by agencies to hire young workers can be held back by levels of distrust, particularly among 18 to 34 year olds. Data shows that trust has fallen from 30% to 15% since 2022.
The survey also confirms findings that Republicans are even less likely to have confidence in their government.
Policy expert organizations that monitor the government and even members of Congress have noted that attacks on the civil service have gained momentum in conservative circles. Donald Trump tried to reclassify thousands of career employees to at-will status, and his campaign supporters and potential vice presidential candidates have urged a similar process to take a fresh look at slices of unelected “bureaucrats.”
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Nearly two-thirds said “many” officials refuse to cooperate with policies they disagree with, with nearly 79% of Republicans saying this, compared to 55% of Democrats. Less than a quarter said officials were impartial.
Although Democrats tend to be more pro-government, the sense of efficacy even among members of that party has declined over the past two years.
“This progressive system has collapsed in our time, and the only real solution is for the national government to do less: decentralize and privatize as much as possible, then ensure that the remaining bureaucracy is managed effectively according to sustainable principles. detailed here,” wrote the authors of the 2025 presidential transition project, a conservative manual for the leaders of the next administration organized by the Heritage Foundation.
The Partnership warns that this is the opposite of what the public wants.
“Critically, the American people do not believe that increased politicization of public service is a good way to improve our government’s ability to solve national problems,” according to the findings.
For example, about 75% said they don’t think a president should be able to fire a public official for “any reason,” and 90% said government becomes less effective when it is motivated by political reasons.
Trust fell even in surveys of racial and ethnic groups, but particularly among Hispanic or Latino respondents. This group has seen its members’ trust in government drop to 23%, from 45% two years ago.
In general, more respondents believe the government is wasteful, corrupt, and incompetent than those who believe it is responsible, helpful, and responsive to the needs of the public.
Molly Weisner is a reporter at the Federal Times, where she covers government workforce labor, policy and contracts. She has previous stops at USA Today and McClatchy as a digital producer, and worked at The New York Times as an editor. Molly majored in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.