Public Trust in Government
Background: Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump began dramatically reshaping parts of the federal government with cuts to funding, programs, and personnel. These changes have taken place against the backdrop of a crisis of public support where only a minority of Americans say they trust the federal government, a view that has been prevalent for more than four decades. A new survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service in the spring of 2025 shows that trust in the federal government remains low. Only 33% of Americans trust the government, while 47% do not, and 13% are neutral.
Reasons for the decline in trust:
- Political Polarization
- Social Media and Misinformation
- Government Performance and Accountability
- Economic Insecurity and Inequality
- Broader Societal Trends
Discussion Questions:
- What does “trust in government” mean to you personally?
- Do you think trust in government is higher, lower, or about the same as it was in the past? Why?
- Are there particular events or experiences that shaped your own level of trust? Nationally? Locally?
Generational Perspectives
- How do you think different generations perceive government institutions?
- Have you noticed differences between older and younger people in terms of confidence in leaders or institutions?
Sources of Trust / Mistrust
- What qualities or actions make government officials more trustworthy in your eyes?
- What factors most contribute to distrust—lack of transparency, broken promises, corruption, inefficiency, or something else?
- How does media coverage affect your sense of whether government can be trusted?
Building Trust
- What could governments do to earn greater public trust?
- How important is community-level government compared to national government in shaping your trust?