Americans are more content with the federal government than at any point since 2004, survey finds

(Image credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

published 17 May 2021

Believe it or not, Americans are more content with the federal government that at any point since 2004, a Pew Research Center survey published Monday found.

While a majority of the respondents remain "frustrated" by the government, 29 percent described themselves as "basically content" with it, compared to just 17 percent who are "angry." Last fall, those numbers were 18 and 24 percent, respectively, and it helps to go back even further to really get perspective on the seemingly mild figure; in 2013, only 12 percent of Americans were content with and 30 percent were angry at the government.

Of course, this is the United States in 2021, so the sentiment is highly partisan. The rise appears to be driven by a whopping 34-point increase — 9 to 43 percent — from 2020 among Democrats who consider themselves content now that President Biden is in office. On the flip side, only 13 percent of Republicans feel the same way, though their drop from the days of the Trump administration is not quite as dramatic.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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