Public Trust in Government: 1958-2024

Public trust in the federal government, which has been low for decades, has increased modestly since 2023. As of April 2024, 22% of Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (21%). Last year, 16% said they trusted the government just about always or most of the time, which was among the lowest measures in nearly seven decades of polling.

Public trust in government near historic lows % who say they trust the government to do what is right just about always/most of the time

Date	.	Individual polls	Moving average
5/19/2024	PEW	22	22
6/11/2023	PEW	16	19
5/01/2022	PEW	20	20
4/11/2021	PEW	24	21
8/2/2020	PEW	20	24
4/12/2020	PEW	27	21
3/25/2019	PEW	17	17
12/04/2017	PEW	18	18
4/11/2017	PEW	20	19
10/04/2015	PEW	19	18
7/20/2014	CNN	14	19
2/26/2014	PEW	24	18
11/15/2013	CBS/NYT	17	20
10/13/2013	PEW	19	19
5/31/2013	CBS/NYT	20	20
2/06/2013	CBS/NYT	20	22
1/13/2013	PEW	26	23
10/31/2012	NES	22	19
10/19/2011	CBS/NYT	10	17
10/04/2011	PEW	20	15
9/23/2011	CNN	15	18
8/21/2011	PEW	19	21
2/28/2011	PEW	29	23
10/21/2010	CBS/NYT	22	23
10/01/2010	CBS/NYT	18	21
9/06/2010	PEW	24	23
9/01/2010	CNN	25	23
4/05/2010	CBS/NYT	20	23
4/05/2010	PEW	25	22
3/21/2010	PEW	22	24
2/12/2010	CNN	26	22
2/05/2010	CBS/NYT	19	21
1/10/2010	GALLUP	19	20
12/20/2009	CNN	20	21
8/31/2009	CBS/NYT	24	22
6/12/2009	CBS/NYT	20	23
12/21/2008	CNN	26	25
10/15/2008	NES	31	24
10/13/2008	CBS/NYT	17	24
7/09/2007	CBS/NYT	24	24
1/09/2007	PEW	31	28
10/08/2006	CBS/NYT	29	29
9/15/2006	CBS/NYT	28	30
2/05/2006	PEW	34	31
1/20/2006	CBS/NYT	32	33
1/06/2006	GALLUP	32	32
12/02/2005	CBS/NYT	32	32
9/11/2005	PEW	31	31
9/09/2005	CBS/NYT	29	30
6/19/2005	GALLUP	30	35
10/15/2004	NES	46	39
7/15/2004	CBS/NYT	40	41
3/21/2004	PEW	36	38
10/26/2003	GALLUP	37	36
7/27/2003	CBS/NYT	36	43
10/15/2002	NES	55	46
9/04/2002	GALLUP	46	46
9/02/2002	CBS/NYT	38	40
7/13/2002	CBS/NYT	38	40
6/17/2002	GALLUP	44	43
1/24/2002	CBS/NYT	46	46
12/07/2001	CBS/NYT	48	49
10/25/2001	CBS/NYT	55	54
10/06/2001	GALLUP	60	49
1/17/2001	CBS/NYT	31	44
10/31/2000	CBS/NYT	40	38
10/15/2000	NES	44	42
7/09/2000	GALLUP	42	39
4/02/2000	ABC/POST	31	38
2/14/2000	PEW	40	34
10/03/1999	CBS/NYT	30	36
9/14/1999	CBS/NYT	38	33
5/16/1999	PEW	31	33
2/21/1999	PEW	31	31
2/12/1999	ABC/POST	32	32
2/04/1999	GALLUP	33	34
1/10/1999	CBS/NYT	37	34
1/03/1999	CBS/NYT	33	37
12/01/1998	NES	40	33
11/15/1998	PEW	26	30
11/01/1998	CBS/NYT	24	26
10/26/1998	CBS/NYT	26	28
8/10/1998	ABC/POST	34	31
2/22/1998	PEW	34	35
2/01/1998	GALLUP	39	33
1/25/1998	CBS/NYT	26	32
1/19/1998	ABC/POST	31	32
10/31/1997	PEW	39	31
8/27/1997	ABC/POST	22	31
6/01/1997	GALLUP	32	26
1/14/1997	CBS/NYT	23	27
11/02/1996	CBS/NYT	25	27
10/15/1996	NES	33	28
5/12/1996	GALLUP	27	31
5/06/1996	ABC/POST	34	29
11/19/1995	ABC/POST	25	27
8/07/1995	GALLUP	22	22
8/05/1995	CBS/NYT	20	21
3/19/1995	ABC/POST	22	20
2/22/1995	CBS/NYT	18	21
12/01/1994	NES	22	21
10/29/1994	CBS/NYT	22	22
10/23/1994	ABC/POST	22	20
6/06/1994	GALLUP	17	19
1/30/1994	GALLUP	19	20
1/20/1994	ABC/POST	24	22
3/24/1993	GALLUP	22	25
1/17/1993	ABC/POST	28	25
1/14/1993	CBS/NYT	24	25
10/23/1992	CBS/NYT	22	25
10/15/1992	NES	29	25
6/08/1992	GALLUP	23	29
10/20/1991	ABC/POST	35	35
3/06/1991	CBS/NYT	47	42
3/01/1991	ABC/POST	45	46
1/27/1991	ABC/POST	46	40
12/01/1990	NES	28	33
10/28/1990	CBS/NYT	25	32
9/06/1990	ABC/POST	42	35
1/16/1990	ABC/POST	38	38
6/29/1989	CBS/NYT	35	39
1/15/1989	CBS/NYT	44	41
11/10/1988	CBS/NYT	44	43
10/15/1988	NES	41	41
1/23/1988	ABC/POST	39	40
10/18/1987	CBS/NYT	41	43
6/01/1987	ABC/POST	47	43
3/01/1987	CBS/NYT	42	44
1/21/1987	CBS/NYT	43	43
1/19/1987	ABC/POST	44	42
12/01/1986	NES	39	44
11/30/1986	CBS/NYT	49	43
9/09/1986	ABC/POST	40	44
1/19/1986	CBS/NYT	42	44
11/06/1985	CBS/NYT	49	43
7/29/1985	ABC/POST	38	42
3/21/1985	ABC/POST	37	40
2/27/1985	CBS/NYT	46	42
2/22/1985	ABC/POST	43	45
11/14/1984	CBS/NYT	46	44
10/15/1984	NES	44	41
12/01/1982	NES	33	39
11/07/1980	CBS/NYT	39	32
10/15/1980	NES	25	30
3/12/1980	CBS/NYT	26	27
11/03/1979	CBS/NYT	30	28
12/01/1978	NES	29	31
10/23/1977	CBS/NYT	33	32
4/25/1977	CBS/NYT	35	34
10/15/1976	NES	33	36
9/05/1976	CBS/NYT	40	35
6/15/1976	CBS/NYT	33	35
3/01/1976	GALLUP	33	34
2/08/1976	CBS/NYT	36	35
12/01/1974	NES	36	36
10/15/1972	NES	53	53
12/01/1970	NES	54	54
10/15/1968	NES	62	62
12/01/1966	NES	65	65
10/15/1964	NES	77	77
12/01/1958	NES	73	73

Sources: Pew Research Center, National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, and CNN surveys.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER Chart Data Share

When the National Election Study began asking about trust in government in 1958, about three-quarters of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing almost always or most of the time.

Trust in government began eroding during the 1960s, amid the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the decline continued in the 1970s with the Watergate scandal and worsening economic struggles.

Confidence in government recovered in the mid-1980s before falling again in the mid-’90s. But as the economy grew in the late 1990s, so too did trust in government. Public trust reached a three-decade high shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks but declined quickly after. Since 2007, the shares saying they can trust the government always or most of the time have not been higher than 30%.

Today, 35% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they trust the federal government just about always or most of the time, compared with 11% of Republicans and Republican leaners.

Democrats report slightly more trust in the federal government today than a year ago. Republicans’ views have been relatively unchanged over this period.

Since the 1970s, trust in government has been consistently higher among members of the party that controls the White House than among the opposition party.

Republicans have often been more reactive than Democrats to changes in political leadership, with Republicans expressing much lower levels of trust during Democratic presidencies. Democrats’ attitudes have tended to be somewhat more consistent, regardless of which party controls the White House.

However, Republican and Democratic shifts in attitudes from the end of Donald Trump’s presidency to the start of Joe Biden’s were roughly the same magnitude.

Trust in government higher among members of party that controls presidency % who say they trust the government to do what is right just about always/most of the time

Date	.	Democrat/Lean Dem	Republican/Lean Rep
5/19/2024	PEW	35	11
6/11/2023	PEW	25	8
5/1/2022	PEW	29	9
4/11/2021	PEW	36	9
8/2/2020	PEW	12	28
4/12/2020	PEW	18	36
3/25/2019	PEW	14	21
12/04/2017	PEW	15	22
4/11/2017	PEW	15	28
10/04/2015	PEW	26	11
7/20/2014	CNN	17	11
2/26/2014	PEW	32	16
11/15/2013	CBS/NYT	31	8
10/13/2013	PEW	27	10
5/31/2013	CBS/NYT	30	8
2/06/2013	CBS/NYT	34	8
1/13/2013	PEW	37	15
10/31/2012	NES	29	16
10/19/2011	CBS/NYT	13	8
10/04/2011	PEW	27	12
9/23/2011	CNN	20	11
8/21/2011	PEW	25	13
3/01/2011	PEW	34	24
10/21/2010	CBS/NYT	36	7
10/01/2010	CBS/NYT	27	13
9/06/2010	PEW	35	13
9/01/2010	CNN	31	18
4/05/2010	CBS/NYT	27	14
3/21/2010	PEW	32	13
2/12/2010	CNN	34	18
2/05/2010	CBS/NYT	31	9
1/10/2010	GALLUP	23	16
12/20/2009	CNN	25	16
8/31/2009	CBS/NYT	34	12
6/12/2009	CBS/NYT	35	10
12/21/2008	CNN	30	22
10/15/2008	NES	34	31
10/13/2008	CBS/NYT	12	19
7/09/2007	CBS/NYT	18	31
1/09/2007	PEW	22	43
10/08/2006	CBS/NYT	20	50
9/15/2006	CBS/NYT	20	44
2/05/2006	PEW	20	53
1/20/2006	CBS/NYT	23	51
1/06/2006	GALLUP	20	44
12/02/2005	CBS/NYT	19	52
9/11/2005	PEW	19	49
9/09/2005	CBS/NYT	21	42
6/19/2005	GALLUP	24	36
10/15/2004	NES	35	61
3/21/2004	PEW	24	55
10/26/2003	GALLUP	35	42
7/27/2003	CBS/NYT	25	51
10/15/2002	NES	52	63
9/04/2002	GALLUP	38	55
9/02/2002	CBS/NYT	32	52
7/13/2002	CBS/NYT	34	45
6/17/2002	GALLUP	33	55
1/24/2002	CBS/NYT	39	56
12/07/2001	CBS/NYT	39	60
10/25/2001	CBS/NYT	47	70
10/06/2001	GALLUP	52	68
1/17/2001	CBS/NYT	26	38
10/15/2000	NES	48	43
7/09/2000	GALLUP	42	41
4/02/2000	ABC/POST	38	24
2/14/2000	PEW	46	37
10/03/1999	CBS/NYT	31	27
9/14/1999	CBS/NYT	42	35
5/16/1999	PEW	36	30
2/21/1999	PEW	35	25
2/12/1999	ABC/POST	41	21
2/04/1999	GALLUP	38	29
1/10/1999	CBS/NYT	42	33
1/03/1999	CBS/NYT	37	29
12/01/1998	NES	45	35
11/19/1998	PEW	31	23
11/01/1998	CBS/NYT	28	22
10/26/1998	CBS/NYT	28	25
8/10/1998	ABC/POST	40	30
2/22/1998	PEW	42	28
2/01/1998	GALLUP	52	26
1/25/1998	CBS/NYT	31	22
10/31/1997	PEW	46	32
6/01/1997	GALLUP	39	25
1/14/1997	CBS/NYT	29	20
11/02/1996	CBS/NYT	31	20
10/15/1996	NES	40	27
5/12/1996	GALLUP	32	20
5/06/1996	ABC/POST	41	35
11/19/1995	ABC/POST	27	26
8/07/1995	GALLUP	24	21
8/05/1995	CBS/NYT	20	20
3/19/1995	ABC/POST	27	20
2/22/1995	CBS/NYT	18	19
12/01/1994	NES	26	18
10/29/1994	CBS/NYT	26	19
10/23/1994	ABC/POST	27	16
6/06/1994	GALLUP	23	11
1/30/1994	GALLUP	25	14
1/20/1994	ABC/POST	30	18
3/24/1993	GALLUP	32	11
1/17/1993	ABC/POST	32	25
1/14/1993	CBS/NYT	26	21
10/23/1992	CBS/NYT	17	31
10/15/1992	NES	31	34
6/08/1992	GALLUP	17	31
10/20/1991	ABC/POST	31	41
3/06/1991	CBS/NYT	40	56
3/01/1991	ABC/POST	41	52
12/01/1990	NES	26	32
10/28/1990	CBS/NYT	21	31
9/06/1990	ABC/POST	37	48
1/16/1990	ABC/POST	32	46
6/29/1989	CBS/NYT	27	45
1/15/1989	CBS/NYT	37	54
11/10/1988	CBS/NYT	36	58
10/15/1988	NES	35	51
1/23/1988	ABC/POST	31	51
10/18/1987	CBS/NYT	36	47
6/01/1987	ABC/POST	38	59
3/01/1987	CBS/NYT	34	54
1/21/1987	CBS/NYT	36	51
1/19/1987	ABC/POST	39	51
12/01/1986	NES	31	53
11/30/1986	CBS/NYT	37	63
9/09/1986	ABC/POST	30	51
1/19/1986	CBS/NYT	36	51
11/06/1985	CBS/NYT	42	59
7/29/1985	ABC/POST	30	48
3/21/1985	ABC/POST	29	49
2/22/1985	ABC/POST	30	62
11/14/1984	CBS/NYT	36	59
10/15/1984	NES	41	50
12/01/1982	NES	32	41
11/07/1980	CBS/NYT	40	42
10/15/1980	NES	31	23
3/12/1980	CBS/NYT	30	22
11/03/1979	CBS/NYT	32	28
12/01/1978	NES	33	26
10/23/1977	CBS/NYT	40	25
4/25/1977	CBS/NYT	37	34
10/15/1976	NES	30	42
9/05/1976	CBS/NYT	38	45
6/15/1976	CBS/NYT	36	36
3/01/1976	GALLUP	31	40
12/01/1974	NES	36	38
10/15/1972	NES	48	62
12/01/1970	NES	52	61
10/15/1968	NES	66	60
12/01/1966	NES	71	54
10/15/1964	NES	80	73
12/01/1958	NES	71	79

Sources: Pew Research Center, National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, and CNN surveys.