GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup poll confirms that Americans hold more positive than negative views of the government in Washington, D.C. -- in the way it deals with international and domestic problems, in the three branches of government, and in the men and women who hold public office. The poll also shows that despite these positive views, most Americans still have doubts about the integrity of some politicians and believe that government is not necessarily run for the benefit of all the people.
When respondents are asked how much trust and confidence they have in the federal government's handling of international problems, 17% say "a great deal" and another 55% say "a fair amount," for a total of 72% with some confidence in this aspect of government. Only 27% say they have "not very much" confidence or "none at all." For handling domestic problems, the net level of confidence is considerably lower, but still with a clear majority giving a more positive than negative score, by 58% to 40%.
Substantial majorities of the public also give positive trust and confidence ratings to the three branches of government. Three-quarters of Americans express a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the judicial branch ("headed by the U.S. Supreme Court"), while 68% express that view about the legislative branch ("consisting of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives") and 65% say that about the executive branch ("headed by the president"). The results are similar for the trust and confidence ratings (64%) of the "men and women in political life in this country who either hold or are running for public office."
Despite these overall positive ratings, Americans express negative views on other questions about government. About half of respondents say that "quite a few of the people running the government are a little crooked" and about seven in ten say "the government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves." Just over half say they can trust the government in Washington, D.C. to do what is right "only some of the time," while only 42% say they can trust the government to do what is right always or most of the time.
Long-Term Trend Shows Decline in Trust and
Confidence
This latter question, about whether the people trust the government
in Washington to do what is right, was first asked by the
University of Michigan in 1958. At that time, 16% of the
respondents said they could trust the government to do what is
right "just about always," and another 57% said "most of the time"
-- for a total of 73% who gave a high rating on this question. In
1964, 76% gave a high score, but by 1970, in the wake of dissension
over the Vietnam War, the percentage giving a high score had
dropped to 54%, similar to the score in 1972 (53%). In 1974,
however, in the midst of the impeachment proceedings against
Richard Nixon, as well as a worsening economy, only 36% of
Americans gave high ratings, and by 1980 -- with hostages in Iran,
the gas lines, and inflation -- the percentage had declined to just
25%. During Ronald Reagan's presidency, the percentage of Americans
who gave a high score climbed back up to just above the 40% level,
but then declined again during the presidency of George Bush and
the first years of the Bill Clinton administration, sinking to a
low of 17% in June 1994. In the past six years, however, as the
economy has flourished, the Washington trust question has produced
higher scores, so that today, 42% of Americans say they trust the
government to do what is right either all or most of the time.
The usefulness of this question is in the trend it provides, as there are no other questions of this sort that have been asked repeatedly over the past several decades and that go back to 1958. But the question can be misleading, suggesting that today only a minority of Americans hold a high level of trust in government and its leaders. Other questions in this poll, however, suggest that contrary to this view, substantial majorities of Americans do give the government positive ratings, depending on the question.
In 1972, for example, when 53% of Americans said they could trust the government to do what is right all or most of the time, a Gallup poll showed that 70% of Americans had a great deal or fair amount of trust in the government's handling of domestic problems. Today, both questions show a decline in trust and confidence, but the Gallup question on domestic problems still shows a clear majority with a positive level of trust (58%), while the University of Michigan question -- about how often the government does what is right -- shows only 42% giving a positive score.
The Gallup questions on the three branches of government show an even more positive pattern. Confidence in the judicial branch is now at 75%, up from 66% in 1972, while confidence in the legislative branch is at 68%, only slightly lower than in 1972 (71%). Even confidence in the executive branch is expressed by a substantial majority of Americans, with 65% giving a positive score, only a little lower than the 73% level the executive branch enjoyed just before Nixon's landslide re-election in 1972. This positive pattern extends to politicians, with 64% of Americans today expressing a great deal or fair amount of confidence in their leaders, compared with 65% in 1972.
It should be noted that at the same time most Americans express positive views about the three branches of government and their elected leaders, just over half of Americans (52%) also say that "quite a few" or "all" of the people running the government today are "a little crooked," compared with 38% who expressed that view in 1972. Thus, while one rating of America's political leaders suggests no difference in the public's views now compared with 1972, the other rating suggests that public cynicism about these leaders has increased. In addition, the percentage who say that government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves rather than for the benefit of all the people has increased from 59% in 1972 to 70% today. While these results appear contradictory, it could be that Americans have in general become more cynical -- some might say more realistic -- about the operation of government, but still retain their positive orientation about the governmental system itself.
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a
randomly selected national sample of 1,001 adults, 18 years and
older, conducted July 6-9, 2000. For results based on this sample,
one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error
attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus
3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can
introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
Now I'd like to ask you several questions about our governmental system. First, how much trust and confidence do you have in our federal government in Washington when it comes to handling [ROTATE A-B] -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?
A. International Problems
|
Great |
Fair |
Not very |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
17 |
55 |
21 |
6 |
1 |
|
2000 May 18-21 |
8 |
45 |
34 |
12 |
1 |
|
1998 Dec 28-29 |
9 |
52 |
30 |
7 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
10 |
58 |
23 |
7 |
2 |
|
1976 Jun |
8 |
48 |
33 |
7 |
4 |
|
1974 Apr |
24 |
49 |
18 |
4 |
3 |
|
1972 May |
20 |
55 |
20 |
2 |
4 |
B. Domestic Problems
|
Great |
Fair |
Not very |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
10 |
48 |
30 |
10 |
2 |
|
2000 May 18-21 |
11 |
54 |
26 |
7 |
2 |
|
1998 Dec 28-29 |
11 |
54 |
26 |
7 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
6 |
45 |
36 |
11 |
2 |
|
1976 Jun |
5 |
44 |
42 |
7 |
3 |
|
1974 Apr |
9 |
42 |
36 |
8 |
4 |
|
1972 May |
11 |
59 |
26 |
3 |
2 |
As you know, our federal government is made up of three branches: an executive branch, headed by the president; a judicial branch, headed by the U.S. Supreme Court; and a legislative branch, made up of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. First, let me ask you how much trust and confidence you have at this time in the executive branch headed by the president, the judicial branchheaded by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the legislative branch, consisting of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?
A. The executive branch headed by the president
|
Great |
Fair |
Not very |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
18 |
47 |
23 |
11 |
1 |
|
1999 Feb 4-8 |
21 |
43 |
24 |
11 |
1 |
|
1998 Dec 28-29 |
24 |
39 |
23 |
12 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
13 |
49 |
27 |
9 |
2 |
|
1976 Jun |
13 |
45 |
30 |
9 |
4 |
|
1974 Apr |
12 |
28 |
36 |
20 |
3 |
|
1972 May |
24 |
49 |
20 |
4 |
2 |
B. The judicial branch, headed by the U.S. Supreme Court
|
Great |
Fair |
Not very |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
23 |
52 |
18 |
6 |
1 |
|
1999 Feb 4-8 |
29 |
51 |
13 |
5 |
2 |
|
1998 Dec 28-29 |
27 |
51 |
16 |
4 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
19 |
52 |
22 |
5 |
2 |
|
1976 Jun |
16 |
47 |
26 |
6 |
4 |
|
1974 Apr |
17 |
54 |
20 |
5 |
5 |
|
1972 May |
17 |
49 |
24 |
7 |
4 |
C. The legislative branch, consisting of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
|
Great |
Fair |
Not very |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
11 |
57 |
24 |
7 |
1 |
|
1999 Feb 4-8 |
8 |
49 |
34 |
7 |
2 |
|
1998 Dec 28-29 |
13 |
48 |
30 |
7 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
6 |
48 |
36 |
8 |
2 |
|
1976 Jun |
9 |
52 |
31 |
6 |
4 |
|
1974 Apr |
13 |
55 |
24 |
4 |
4 |
|
1972 May |
13 |
58 |
22 |
3 |
3 |
Finally, how much trust and confidence do you have in general in men and women in political life in this country who either hold or are running for public office -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?
|
Great |
Fair |
Not very |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
7 |
57 |
31 |
3 |
2 |
|
1998 Dec 28-29 |
7 |
56 |
31 |
4 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
5 |
52 |
37 |
5 |
1 |
|
1976 Jun |
6 |
58 |
28 |
4 |
4 |
|
1974 Apr |
7 |
61 |
24 |
4 |
4 |
|
1972 May |
7 |
58 |
27 |
5 |
2 |
Do you think that quite a few of the people running the government are a little crooked, not very many are, or do you think hardly any of them are crooked at all?
|
|
|
|
ALL ARE CROOKED |
|
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
49 |
38 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
50 |
37 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
|
1996 May 9-12 |
52 |
32 |
9 |
5 |
2 |
|
1994 Jun 3-6 |
58 |
29 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
|
1992 Apr 20-22 |
61 |
25 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
|
University of Michigan National Election Study: |
|||||
|
1990 |
50 |
41 |
9 |
-- |
-- |
|
1988 |
42 |
46 |
12 |
-- |
-- |
|
1984 |
33 |
52 |
15 |
-- |
-- |
|
1980 |
48 |
43 |
9 |
-- |
-- |
|
1976 |
44 |
42 |
14 |
-- |
-- |
|
1972 |
38 |
47 |
15 |
-- |
-- |
Would you say the government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves or that it is run for the benefit of all the people?
|
Run by few |
Run for the |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
70 |
25 |
5 |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
74 |
22 |
4 |
|
1995 Apr 17-19 |
76 |
18 |
6 |
|
1991 Apr 20-22 |
80 |
16 |
4 |
|
University of Michigan National Election Study: |
|||
|
1990 |
75 |
25 |
-- |
|
1988 |
67 |
33 |
-- |
|
1984 |
59 |
41 |
-- |
|
1980 |
77 |
23 |
-- |
|
1976 |
73 |
27 |
-- |
|
1972 |
59 |
41 |
-- |
How much of the time do you think you can trust government in Washington to do what is right? Just about always, most of the time, or only some of the time?
|
Just about |
Most of the |
Only some |
NEVER |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Jul 6-9 |
4 |
38 |
56 |
2 |
* |
|
1999 Feb 4-8 |
5 |
29 |
64 |
2 |
* |
|
1998 Jan 30-Feb 1 |
6 |
33 |
59 |
2 |
* |
|
1997 May 30-Jun 1 |
3 |
29 |
65 |
2 |
1 |
|
1996 May 9-12 |
2 |
24 |
69 |
4 |
1 |
|
1995 Aug 4-7 |
2 |
20 |
71 |
5 |
2 |
|
1994 Jun 3-6 |
3 |
14 |
73 |
9 |
1 |
|
1994 Jan |
1 |
19 |
74 |
5 |
1 |
|
1993 Mar |
3 |
20 |
75 |
2 |
* |
|
1992 Jun |
2 |
21 |
71 |
4 |
2 |
|
University of Michigan National Election Study: |
|||||
|
1990 |
3 |
25 |
68 |
2 |
2 |
|
1988 |
4 |
37 |
56 |
2 |
1 |
|
1986 |
3 |
35 |
58 |
2 |
2 |
|
1984 |
4 |
40 |
53 |
1 |
2 |
|
1982 |
2 |
31 |
62 |
2 |
3 |
|
1980 |
2 |
23 |
69 |
4 |
2 |
|
1978 |
2 |
27 |
64 |
4 |
3 |
|
1976 |
3 |
30 |
62 |
1 |
4 |
|
1974 |
2 |
34 |
61 |
1 |
2 |
|
1972 |
5 |
48 |
44 |
1 |
2 |
|
1970 |
7 |
47 |
44 |
* |
2 |
|
1968 |
7 |
54 |
37 |
* |
2 |
|
1966 |
17 |
48 |
28 |
3 |
4 |
|
1964 |
14 |
62 |
22 |
* |
2 |
|
1958 |
16 |
57 |
23 |
0 |
4 |
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) Volunteered response
