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Government Trust Trend (1958–2025)

This interactive chart shows the percentage of Americans who say they trust the federal government to do what is right "just about always" or "most of the time," based on surveys tracked by the Pew Research Center since 1958.

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How to Read This Chart

  • Y-axis: The share of adults (%) expressing trust in the federal government.
  • X-axis: Survey year (1958–2025). Not every year has a data point; gaps reflect years when the question was not surveyed.
  • Colored dashed lines: Mark five historically significant moments; hover over any data point for the exact percentage.
  • Colored legend: Identifies each annotated event.

Key Findings

Period Trust Level Driver
1958–1964 73–77% Post-WWII optimism, Great Society
1964–1980 Collapse to 25% Vietnam War, Watergate scandal
1982–1991 Partial recovery to 47% Reagan era, Gulf War rally
2001–2002 Spike to 55% Post-9/11 national unity
2007–present Below 30% continuously Partisan polarization, financial crisis, gridlock
2023 16% (historic low) Near-record distrust

Source

Data from: Pew Research Center — Public Trust in Government: 1958–2025 https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/12/04/public-trust-in-government-1958-2025/

The survey question: "How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right?" — coded as the share answering "just about always" or "most of the time."

Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Identify major periods of rising and falling trust in U.S. government. 2. Connect historical events (Vietnam, Watergate, 9/11) to shifts in public opinion. 3. Evaluate what sustained low trust since 2007 means for democratic governance.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why did public trust peak in 1964? What changed between 1964 and 1980?
  2. Why did trust spike after 9/11, and why did it fall so quickly afterward?
  3. What patterns do you notice after 2007? What might explain them?
  4. Is a 16–22% trust level dangerous for democracy? What are the consequences?
  5. What actions could the government take to rebuild public trust?

Classroom Activities

  • Before viewing: Ask students to guess what percentage of Americans trust the government today. Reveal the chart.
  • Annotate the timeline: Have students place sticky notes of major events on a printed version of the chart.
  • Compare presidents: Which administrations saw trust rise? Which saw it fall?
  • Civic action essay: If trust is at a historic low, what responsibilities do citizens have?
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References