Poll Indicates Declining Public Trust in Government Information

Why it matters locally: While the poll highlights declining trust in federal information nationally, residents of Washington, like all Americans, rely on accurate federal data for decision-making across various sectors, including the state's diverse industries.

Americans exhibit increased skepticism regarding federal government information, according to a new poll. Majorities of respondents now report little to no trust in data provided by the federal government concerning elections and politics, foreign affairs, or the environment. This represents a change from attitudes observed a few years ago. Political campaigns and candidates also face similar trust deficits. Fifty-five percent of Americans say they have little to no trust in information from political campaigns and candidates. This level of distrust for campaigns parallels the sentiments directed at federal government information. Former President Donald Trump, a prominent figure in political discourse, encounters comparable trust levels among respondents. Fifty-five percent of Americans indicate little to no trust in information from Donald Trump. This places Trump's trust metrics in line with those of political campaigns and federal government data. Further analysis of the poll results shows specific breakdowns of trust in federal government information. Fifty-eight percent of respondents express little or no trust in federal information about elections and politics. For foreign affairs, 57% hold similar low trust levels. Regarding environmental issues, 56% report little or no trust in federal government data. The poll found trust levels varied across different sources. Sixty-five percent of Americans, for instance, report having a great deal or a fair amount of trust in information from election officials. This contrasts with the lower trust observed for federal government data. Majorities also express confidence in information from local news organizations and fact-checking organizations. Fifty-four percent trust local news a great deal or a fair amount, and 53% trust fact-checking organizations to the same extent. Family and friends also rate higher, with 51% trusting information from them.