Confidence in government plunged in most developed countries in the wake of the global financial crisis, a new OECD report finds.
Public trust in the government, already quite low, has edged even lower in a survey conducted just before the Oct. 16 agreement to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.
Overall, 26% of Americans say they are angry at the federal government, while 51% feel frustrated. Just 17% say they are basically content with the government. Anger is most palpable among conservative Republicans.
If the federal government shuts down over a budget disagreement, about as many Americans would blame the Republicans (39%) as would blame the Obama administration (36%), with 17% volunteering that both would be equally to blame.
Three-quarters of Americans said in the wake of the Boston bombings that occasional acts of terrorism will be part of U.S. life in the future.
Since 9/11, Americans generally have valued protection from terrorism over civil liberties, yet they also have expressed concerns over government overreach and intrusions on their personal privacy.
Young adults are less trusting in general but more willing to trust at least some government officials and agencies. Overall, the United States is one of the more trusting societies in the world.
So far, public interest in a trio of controversies connected to the Obama administration remains limited. Republicans are following the stories much more closely.
Favorability ratings for different levels of government have diverged over the past decade as public views of the federal government have fallen to new lows.
For the first time, a majority of the public says that the federal government threatens their personal rights and freedoms.
