Public Trust in All Branches of U.S. Government Falls to Historic Lows

Gallup’s latest poll, fielded between September 1 and 17, reveals that just a third of U.S. adults trust the federal government, a level not seen since the Watergate scandals of the 1970s. Confidence in the executive branch slipped to 33%, while only 28% trust the legislative branch, both marking new historic lows. The judicial branch retains the highest trust at 46%, yet this too is a record low. Across the political spectrum, Republicans, independents and Democrats all reported sharp drops in trust regarding how Washington handles international and domestic issues.

Independents showed the steepest declines, with trust in the executive falling to 24% and in the legislative to 22%. These trends emerge just weeks before the November 3 midterms, where both parties are vying for House control amid debates over the Iran conflict, fuel prices and the broader economy.