America's trust in the government to do anything right hits new record lows

On the day President Obama is to deliver a major speech outlining his plan to "go on some offense" against ISIS, a new Gallup poll finds that majorities of Americans don't trust Washington to adequately handle foreign or domestic problems.

In the survey, only 43 percent of adults said they trusted the government on foreign policy issues, a 23-point slide from just two years ago, and the lowest level Gallup has ever found in almost two decades of polling the question. At the same time, only 40 percent of Americans said they trusted the government to handle domestic issues — also a record low.

Perhaps as expected, there's a sharp partisan divide on the issue given that Democrats run the Senate and White House. Among Democrats, 70 percent trusted D.C. on international affairs, while 63 percent trusted it on domestic concerns. Among Republicans, those splits sat at 27 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up