Why Americans Don’t Fully Trust Many Who Hold Positions of Power and Responsibility
Members of Congress and technology leaders are rated lower in empathy, transparency and ethics; public gives higher scores to military leaders, public school principals and police officers
Republicans have confidence in presidential appointees, Democrats trust career government employees
Partisans have different levels of confidence when it comes to the type of personnel who hold government jobs – presidential appointees or career employees.
Young Americans are less trusting of other people – and key institutions – than their elders
Americans believe trust has declined in the U.S., whether it involves citizens’ faith in each other or their confidence in the government.
5 key findings about public trust in scientists in the U.S.
Americans have broadly positive views of scientists and their work but are more tepid when it comes to trusting their competence, credibility and concern for the public interest.
Trust and Mistrust in Americans’ Views of Scientific Experts
Public confidence in scientists is on the upswing, and six-in-ten Americans say scientists should play an active role in policy debates about scientific issues, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Key findings about Americans’ declining trust in government and each other
Americans say the public’s trust has been declining in both the federal government and in their fellow citizens. But most say this can be turned around.
Trust and Distrust in America
Many Americans think declining trust in the government and in each other makes it harder to solve key problems. They have a wealth of ideas about what’s gone wrong and how to fix it.
Republicans far more likely than Democrats to say fact-checkers tend to favor one side
Republicans largely say fact-checking by news outlets and other organizations favors one side. Democrats mostly think it is fair to all sides.
Public Highly Critical of State of Political Discourse in the U.S.
Majorities of Americans say the tone of political debate in the country has become more negative, less respectful, less fact-based and less substantive in recent years.
About three-quarters of Americans favor steps to restrict altered videos and images
A majority of Americans say altered videos and images create confusion about current issues, and most support restrictions on such content.
