Public trust in federal government near historic lows for more than a decade

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September 14, 2020

Americans’ Views of Government: Low Trust, but Some Positive Performance Ratings

Public trust in federal government near historic lows for more than a decade

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Public trust in federal government near historic lows for more than a decade

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Americans’ Views of Government: Low Trust, but Some Positive Performance Ratings
Majority of Americans say the country ‘can always find ways to solve our problems’
Sizable gap between public’s views of government’s role and its performance
Largest partisan gaps in views of government performance on handling public health, disasters, environment
Since Trump’s election, Republicans are far more positive about government, Democrats more negative
Public trust in the federal government has been low for more than a decade
Republicans’ trust in the federal government has increased since the beginning of Trump’s term in office
Overall feelings toward the federal government have been steady in recent years
About a third of Democrats now say they feel angry toward the government
Nearly six-in-ten say government should do more to solve problems
Large partisan gap in views of size of government
Wide partisan divides on whether govt. should play ‘major role’ on health care, the environment, poverty
Positive views of govt. performance on terrorism, disasters; negative views on public health, poverty

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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