Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 2
Gallup Poll Finds Nearly 90% of Americans See Widespread Government Corruption
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 2

Gallup Poll Finds Nearly 90% of Americans See Widespread Government Corruption

2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 2

Summary

  • Nearly 90% of Americans now say corruption is widespread in the U.S. government, a Gallup poll released Wednesday found, marking the highest level recorded in two decades.
  • 10 percentage points of that rise came in just a year, with Gallup saying the shift reflects surging bipartisan frustration with political institutions and the people who run them.
  • 1,000 people were surveyed in May and June, capturing distrust that Gallup described as a record high and underscoring deep erosion in confidence in government.

Insights

With Americans perceiving widespread corruption, is the system truly broken, or is digital media amplifying our deepest institutional fears?
Can radical transparency programs and stronger whistleblower protections actually reverse the two-decade high in government distrust?
Why do citizens still highly trust doctors and the military while losing all faith in federal institutions and emerging technologies?