Americans’ Trust in One Another
Americans trust each other less than they did a few decades ago. We explore why this is, and why some are more trusting than others.
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Public trust in government remains low, as it has for much of the 21st century. Roughly two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (21%).
Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics.
65% say most political candidates run for office “to serve their own personal interests.”