Americans remain deeply distrustful of and dissatisfied with their government. Just 20% say they trust the government in Washington to do the right thing just about always or most of the time \u2013 a sentiment that has changed very little since former President George W. Bush\u2019s second term in office.<\/p>\n
Chart shows low public trust in federal government has persisted for nearly two decades
\nThe public\u2019s criticisms of the federal government are many and varied. Some are familiar: Just 6% say the phrase \u201ccareful with taxpayer money\u201d describes the federal government extremely or very well; another 21% say this describes the government somewhat well. A comparably small share (only 8%) describes the government as being responsive to the needs of ordinary Americans.<\/p>\n
The federal government gets mixed ratings for its handling of specific issues. Evaluations are highly positive in some respects, including for responding to natural disasters (70% say the government does a good job of this) and keeping the country safe from terrorism (68%). However, only about a quarter of Americans say the government has done a good job managing the immigration system and helping people get out of poverty (24% each). And the share giving the government a positive rating for strengthening the economy has declined 17 percentage points since 2020, from 54% to 37%.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n NEW from @pewresearch<\/a>: Americans remain deeply distrustful of and dissatisfied with their government. Yet, across parties and demographic groups, Americans continue to support a substantial role for the federal government in many realms.https:\/\/t.co\/S1k36CMNa9<\/a><\/p>\n — Andrew Daniller (@DrAMDaniller) June 6, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n