Americans' Confidence in Government at All-Time Low, Survey Finds

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals a significant decline in Americans' favorability ratings toward all levels of government compared to previous years. The survey, conducted in December 2023 among 5,203 adults, highlights a downward trend in public opinion towards federal, state, and local governments since 2019.

Only 22% of U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of the federal government, marking a 10-percentage point decrease since 2022 and a 9-point decrease since 2019. State governments receive mixed ratings, with 50% of adults holding a favorable opinion and 49% holding an unfavorable view. This reflects a 4-point decline in favorability since 2022 and a 9-point decline since 2019.

While 61% of adults rate their local government positively, this is down from 66% in 2022 and 69% in 2019. Partisan views show that Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more likely to view the federal government favorably compared to Republicans and GOP leaners. However, both parties' views of their state government are influenced by the party in power.

Republicans in states with Republican leadership have a more positive view of their state government compared to those in states with split control or Democratic leadership. The pattern among Democrats is similar. In contrast, Americans' opinions of their local government do not differ significantly by party, with similar shares of Republicans and Democrats holding favorable views.

Last year, a separate Pew study on the state of the nation’s politics revealed widespread dissatisfaction among the public. Majorities believe that the political process is dominated by special interests, inundated with campaign funds, and entrenched in partisan conflict. Elected officials are commonly perceived as self-serving and ineffective, leading to a lack of trust in the political system as a whole.

Notably, this dissatisfaction persists despite historically high levels of voter turnout in recent national elections. The elections of 2018, 2020, and 2022 witnessed some of the highest turnouts in decades, yet public dissatisfaction with politics remains deeply entrenched.

A mere 4% of U.S. adults believe the political system is functioning extremely or very well, with an additional 23% considering it somewhat functional. The majority, comprising 63% of respondents, express little to no confidence in the future of the U.S. political system.

Trust in governmental and political institutions has reached historic lows, with only 16% of the public indicating that they trust the federal government always or most of the time. Similarly, public opinion of the Supreme Court has shifted unfavorably for the first time in decades.

There is a growing disdain for both major political parties, with nearly three-in-ten Americans expressing unfavorable views of both. Additionally, a quarter of adults feel unrepresented by either party.

The quality of political candidates is also a point of contention, with 63% of Americans expressing dissatisfaction with the candidates who have emerged so far in the presidential campaign. Even outside of presidential elections, there has been a notable decline in the perceived quality of political candidates.