Fewer Americans say they don't trust federal government: Survey

Fewer Americans said that they do not trust the federal government compared to figures compiled last year, according to a new survey that was released on Tuesday. 

The poll conducted by the Partnership for Public Service found that a third of Americans, 33 percent, trust the federal government, a 10-point increase since last year. Nearly half of U.S. adults, 47 percent, said they do not trust the government, representing a 16-point drop since 2024, when it was at 63 percent. 

Some 13 percent said they were neutral when asked, while another six percent did not have an answer. 

More than 4-in-10 Republicans, 42 percent, said in the survey that they trust the federal government, more than four times higher than last year when just 10 percent said the same. On the opposite end, 31 percent of Democrats said they trust the federal government, an eight-point drop from 2024. The fluctuations in trust are part of a historical pattern, with trust in government being higher among voters part of a party that controls the Oval Office, the pollster noted. 

More U.S. adults, 45 percent, argued the federal government has a negative impact on the nation compared to 42 percent who said it has a positive one. 

Two-thirds of Americans, 67 percent, said in the poll that the federal government is “corrupt.” 

The number of Americans who said the federal government is “wasteful,” 61 percent, is lower compared to 2024, when 85 percent agreed. 

The biggest increase when it comes to trust in government was registered among GOP voters under the age of 50, with more than half of them, 52 percent, stating that they have faith in government. Last year, the figure was at 28 percent. 

The survey was conducted from March 31-April 6 among 800 U.S. adults. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.