Americans’ Mistrust of Institutions

Trust in our nation’s institutions has never been lower. And experts tend to blame our politically polarized society, which certainly contributes to the deep unease that is being felt by a majority of Americans today. But the trend lines for trust in government, the news media, the medical system, and other critical institutions has been on this downward slope for decades.

Surveys from Pew Research Center and other leading polling organizations tell the tale. This spring, the Center reported that only 22% of U.S. adults said they trust the federal government to do the right thing just about always or most of the time. That’s down from 77% six decades ago.

Gallup reports that 32% of people have trust in churches and organized religions, down from 65% in the early 70s; over roughly the same time, trust in the medical system has fallen from 80% to 36%.

This issue of Trend offers a historic perspective that goes beyond the latest headlines about the decline in Americans’ trust of the institutions that bind and drive our society. And it offers a deep look at three key sectors under stress—the news media, election administration, and the health care system—with analysis about how mistrust has grown over the past half-century and what can be done to reverse it.

Our focus is on the United States, because we seem to have a truly American problem. For the first time, Gallup’s survey found that the U.S. ranks last among the G7 nations in trust in its national government, the honesty of elections, the judicial system, and the military. Less than two decades ago, the U.S. topped the list. But now Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Japan, and Italy all show higher levels of trust.

A healthy democracy is built on a foundation of trust and depends upon civic participation from an informed electorate and a government that recognizes the needs of its citizens. As Pew senior vice president Kil Huh writes in this issue of Trend, “while these numbers appear bleak, they can be turned around if government can be more effective and efficient.”

His essay on ways to build public confidence notes that the performance of our nation’s institutions is central to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ approach to improving Americans’ lives and helping our communities thrive. Whether through enhancing health outcomes, helping more people climb the economic ladder, improving our civil court system, or tackling the shortage of affordable housing, Pew seeks to help government listen to the people it serves—and to earn their trust.

Amid the gloom of the survey results, some important and optimistic findings stand out. Claudia Deane, executive vice president of Pew Research Center, writes in this issue that “if there’s an upside to the fact that we have a national problem with trust, it’s that we know it.” And—importantly—there is bipartisan support to try to restore it.

Polling shows that improving trust can begin with each of us as individuals. A majority of Americans say it’s important to increase the confidence we have in each other, and 9 in 10 say they believe we can make progress doing that.

Pew’s focus on using data to make a difference can play an important role in this process. Facts help us to understand challenges, including our trust deficit, and can provide a common language for people to discuss their differences, allowing a diversity of voices and viewpoints to be heard and respected. Facts can inform the electorate, empower policymakers, and build confidence as we advance solutions. By illuminating ways our nation’s institutions can improve and helping them do so, we are embracing the hard work of building trust in them—and strengthening our democracy.