Public confidence in the U.S. government, judiciary and military has plummeted, placing the country behind most other Group of Seven (G7) nations, according to a new Gallup analysis.
Approximately 68% of Americans lack confidence in their national government.
Confidence in the judiciary stands at a low 42%.
Even the U.S. military, a traditionally popular institution, experienced a reported drop in public confidence, from 90% in 2021 to 81% last year.
The G7 is made up of the leading industrial nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Among the G7, Germany exhibited the lowest level of public confidence in its military, with nearly 60% expressing a lack of confidence.
The American public appears split on the nation's military budget, even though the United States spends more on its military than all other G7 nations combined.
Approximately 35% think spending is too high, 29% believe it is too low, and 33% consider it the right amount.
“There’s no smoking gun that explains all of it,” Benedict Vigers, a Gallup analyst, told VOA. “These data feel part of a broader trend among Americans that extends even beyond people’s faith in their political institutions.”
Experts link public trust in governing institutions to the quality of public service delivery, effective measures against corruption and abuse of power, and progress in tackling income and wealth inequality.
“The effectiveness of public institutions depends on the trust that citizens and businesses bestow upon them,” the World Bank said in a report last year.
Public confidence in American institutions is waning, extending beyond government bodies.
Trust in churches and organized religion has steadily declined, with a record-breaking 30% of Americans expressing "very little" confidence last year – the highest number since Gallup began tracking this question in 1973.
The erosion of trust also impacts the media, with over 40% of Americans reporting very little confidence, particularly in newspapers and television.
