Why don't Americans trust government?

Trust (noun) 1: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. (Merriam-Webster)

Skepticism about government is, in many respects, part of our national DNA. But surveys in the 1950s and 1960s showed most Americans expressed at least a basic trust that their government would do the right thing most or all the time. The 1970s and the tumultuous issues of Vietnam and Watergate eroded that sentiment, and the polling numbers on it have never really recovered.

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Our own trend picks it up in 1976, when just a third said the government did right most or all the time; by 1980 that had dropped to a quarter. Things rose a bit in the late 1980s, dropped again in the 1990s, spiked up amid a welling of patriotism in the fall of 2001, and bottomed out - our lowest number ever - last year, after the 2011 budget showdown and America's credit downgrade.

Today trust in government, as measured by our latest CBS News poll, has inched back up to a still-low (but about normal for the era) 20 percent, with Americans trusting government just "some of the time" the most prevalent answer.

This week, as another legislative session really gets rolling, we decided to ask the 78 percent of Americans who don't trust it most of the time to tell us why they don't, and we asked these skeptical Americans to describe their beliefs in their own words. The replies we got described a frustration with ineffectiveness and partisanship; misgivings about an insular Washington wrapped up more in its own battles than in working for average people. To many, it seemed, lack of trust was born not from apprehension about what a government might do to you, but rather that it isn't doing anything for you.

"They can't make a mutually agreeable decision together," said one interviewee, "They cannot be trusted to work together," said another, riffing on the question's phrasing. "The fact that they fight all the time."

Views of Washington being removed from 'the people' were exemplified by thoughts like "they (politicians) ...are set for...years, so they don't think about us anymore;" they "can't relate" and "don't know what's going on with the common man." "What's good for the country isn't good for Congress."

These kinds of quotes, along with general complaints about perceived pandering and influence of lobbyists or special interests, were more prevalent than comments about any specific policy and comprised about one in five answers (22 percent, a plurality.) Another quarter decried either what they saw as untrue statements from politicians (15 percent) or the prevalence of money in politics (11 percent).

Given the tough, often personal rhetoric that surrounds politics and elected officials today, it might surprise - perhaps, happily - that the answers didn't get more personal. Few volunteered an elected official's name, nor a party nor a prominent leader past or present - as an ad hominem reason for their distrust. Rather, answers tended strongly toward the institutional and structural, as exemplified by those mentions of interests and infighting. Maybe part of that is due to the phrasing of question (we asked "what" you distrust, not "who") but it also suggests that this cynicism transcends any current occupant of an office or seat, too. Like the trend line that led here from the 1970s, it is deeper and more prevailing.

And so it's a reminder, too, that regaining trust - if it happens - isn't likely to come via a single election or figure or policy but, as it would always be between people, something that has to build over repeated actions and time.

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[daylin505]

Really? We don't trust them because they have one law for themselves and another for us. We don't trust them because we have to work our entire lives to save an scrimp to have a retirement after decades of working and after one term, if they are not re-elected they have a pension for a lifetime. We don't trust them because instead of listening to each other they make up motives as to WHY they can't have their own way in all things instead of compromising for the good of the many instead of the few (can you say their voting base). We don't trust them because we have allowed them to divide us while they quietly conquer us with their own agendas (back door politics, executive orders without due process, etc). We let them get away with whatever they want without consequences.

[Bojax39]

"Why don't Americans trust government?"

CBS, you and other media... I suppose you could call it "report", (though most would call it "spin"), the news 24/7 and you need to ask that question?

[sjc_1]

Congress has a few representatives from a few districts in a few states that are holding up everything. This is not how it is suppose to work, when 60-70% of the people are for taking action.

[Cowmpound]

Anyone look at Biden's eyes as he sat behind the President at SOTU? Last 10 minutes or so.

Jesse Ventura's conspiracy theory about lizard people. Just saying.

Whats not to like?

[marychgo]

Here's a thought, CBS: Get more specific in your polls! Instead of asking Americans whether we "trust government," ask Americans which SPECIFIC events or legislation caused them to trust (or mistrust) which SPECIFIC elements of our government (the President, Congress, the courts).
I'm old enough that Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-Contra and, more recently, Iraq, Guantanamo, torture, and drones make me mistrust the President; Monicagate, tax expenditures, and virtually everything that's happened since 2009 makes me mistrust Congress; Citizens United and dozens of dreadful pro-business decisions make me mistrust the Supreme Court.
CBS' "generic" poll questions mash together people who object to the Beltway consensus from the left and from the right...as, for example, when you tallied a "majority" opposed to PPACA, even though almost half of those who opposed "Obamacare" wanted, not to repeal it, but to replace it with "Medicare for all." That sort of "generic" poll tells us NOTHING!

[tenbender]

The democrat's in the congress will not follow the constitution. ( No budger in 4 years )
The president only follow's his own path. He could care less for the constitution. ( No enforcement of the border. ) ( Apointments without congress ) ( Six months for FEMA to help Sandy victoms )
No, I don't trust them.

[fuzmorten]

Since you don't come close to answering your question you just provide poll data to show the lack of trust. Could history have a bearing here? I grew up in the 60's we were told the US would never engage in "KGB" or Gestapo" tactics against American Citizens. We were told America would always stand up for democracy,liberty and justice!
In the '70s we found out our government supported oppressive regimes to support our own interests (oil and resources) we had Viet Nam, Nixon, Arab Scam, the Pentagon Papers, and the Iranian Revolution over throwing the despotic Shah of Iran that we had supported. With the end of Viet Nam came skyrocketing inflation fueled by gasoline prices tripling over night. Then as we are struggling to recover following Viet Nam we got Reagan, "Voodoo economics", "no new taxes", and Iran-Contra (or the CIA deals drugs to fund black ops). We got Bush in the 80's (former CIA chief and all his "good ole boy" buddies that are still involved in pulling strings in the government) Clinton, other than his personal sex life and redefining the word "is" he left us in better economic shape than Bush or Reagan. GW and the republican't party become the clarion of fear and come up with the Homeland Security Act and the Patriot Act which strip away guarantees of the Bill of Rights in order to protect us. And our government engages in Waterboarding and other methods of torture to get to the root of the Taliban (whom we supported in the 80's when they fought against the Russians).We had an election where the "popular vote" lost to an antiquated "Electoral College"
and no one has made any attempt to correct the problem. We were taken to the brink of economic disaster by GW's ego, Banks making illegal loans, and Insurance companies that invested in the Banks' illegal activity.
For the past 4 years we have had a totally non productive congress that can't even pass a budget because of nothing but political rhetoric and stonewalling by the republican'ts!
And you ask "Why we don't trust our government?"
WHAT IS THERE TO TRUST???

[Bojax39]

fuzmorten says: "For the past 4 years we have had a totally non productive congress that can't even pass a budget because of nothing but political rhetoric and stonewalling by the republican'ts!"

As well as constant pressure towards a nanny state socialist wet dream by the Democrats, don't forget...

Let's face it, neither side of the aisle will ever win prizes for cultivation of trust.

[ironpony33]

The headline leads readers to believe you are asking why the government is not always trusted rather than just another re-write of which party trust when and how much. The real answer is that politicians lie to us all the time. Really a simple answer not don't you think??