Sunday

Trust in Institutions and the Political Process

Source: Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP)
 
Levels of Trust Continue to Slide Across there Board, All Institutions Below 50%
Compared to one year ago, the level of trust that young Americans between 18- and 29- years old have in most American institutions tested in our survey has dissipated compared even to last year’s historically low numbers. For example, in the last 12 months, trust in the President has decreased from 39 percent to 32 percent, the U.S. military has decreased from 54 percent to 47 percent (the first time below a majority) and the Supreme Court from 40 to 36 percent. Below is a graph that charts the composite trust index (an average of six public institutions tracked using the same methodology) since 2010.

COMPOSITE TRUST INDEX:
PRESIDENT, US MILITARY, CONGRESS, SUPREME COURT,
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UNITED NATIONS
— % WHO RESPOND ALL OR MOST OF THE TIME —
2/102/113/124/134/1430.032.535.037.540.0
xTrust
2/1039
2/1137
3/1238
4/1335
4/1431
The level of trust that young Americans have in the President and the U.S. Military has suffered the most over the last year. The growing lack of trust in the President comes from Democrats (64% trusted the President to do the right thing all or most of the time in 2013, today the number is 53%) and Independents (31% in 2013, 23% today) — and not from Republicans whose opinion has not changed in the last year. Thirteen percent (13%) of Republicans trust the President to do the right thing all or most of the time.

These findings stand in contrast to the U.S. Military; over the last year, the military has lost trust across all parties (Democrats are down 6 points to 44%, Republicans 5 points to 63% and Independents down 8 points to 40%).

BELOW IS A SHORT LIST OF INSTITUTIONS, HOW OFTEN DO YOU
TRUST EACH OF THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING?
— % WHO RESPOND ALL OR MOST OF THE TIME —

FEB 2010FEB 2011MAR 2012APR 2013APR 2014
THE PRESIDENT44%41%41%39%32%
THE US MILITARY53%50%55%54%47%
THE CONGRESS25%23%23%18%14%
THE SUPREME COURT45%44%45%40%36%
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT29%27%27%22%20%
THE UNITED NATIONS40%38%38%34%34%
YOUR STATE GOVERNMENT_28%32%30%28%
YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT_33%37%34%33%
WALL STREET11%_13%12%12%
THE MEDIA17%__11%11%
THE NSA____24%
In 2010, the question asked about “Wall Street executives” and “traditional media.”

Appeal and Effectiveness of Politics Also on Decline
While we have seen a consistent and across the board drop in trust levels for some time, we also see a similar pattern on issues relation to the efficacy of the political process more generally. For example, since 2010, there has been a consistent six-point increase in those who agree with the statement that“elected officials seem to be motivated by selfish reasons,” more than three-in-five (62%) now agree with this; and a similar six-point increase with agreement that “political involvement rarely has any tangible results” (23% in 2010, 29% in 2014) and “political involvement rarely has any tangible results”23% in 2010, 29% in 2014).
We also have tracked a seven-point increase in the number who agree with the statement, “electedofficials don’t seem to have the same priorities I have” (51% in 2010, 58% in 2014).
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH EACH STATEMENT?
— % WHO AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT —

FEB 2010FEB 2011MAR 2012APR 2013APR 2014
COMMUNITY SERVICE IS AN HONORABLE THING TO DO70%69%69%70%70%
ELECTED OFFICIALS SEEM TO BE MOTIVATED BY SELFISH REASONS54%55%59%59%62%
ELECTED OFFICIALS DON’T SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PRIORITIES I HAVE51%-55%56%58%
POLITICS HAS BECOME TOO PARTISAN46%44%49%48%49%
POLITICS TODAY ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OUR COUNTRY IS FACING--45%47%48%
PEOPLE LIKE ME DO NOT HAVE ANY SAY ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES36%35%37%37%41%
RUNNING FOR OFFICE IS AN HONORABLE THING TO DO35%36%35%35%32%
POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT RARELY HAS ANY TANGIBLE RESULTS23%24%29%28%29%
THE IDEA OF WORKING IN SOME FORM OF PUBLIC SERVICE IS APPEALING TO ME33%33%31%31%29%

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