Trust in Federal Government to Do the Right Thing
% saying "just about always" or "most of the time" — United States, 1958–2025
77%
trusted government in 1964 — the high-water mark
17%
trust government today — a 60-point collapse
The green band isn't utopia — it's Denmark, Sweden, Finland.
Societies with robust public institutions, functional social contracts, and governments that actually deliver on promises.
17% isn't a floor. It's a consequence of specific choices. Different choices produce different numbers.
Nordic avg trust range (~58–74%, 2015–2024)
U.S. trust, 1958–2025
Source: Pew Research Center, National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, and CNN surveys.
Smoothed trend line represents a three-survey moving average (1976–2024). Individual polls used for 1958–1975 and 2025.