Americans trust local government over Congress, media: Gallup

Americans trust local government more in comparison to Congress and the media, according to a new poll.

The Gallup survey, released Monday, shows 67 percent of respondents said they had a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust and confidence in the local governments around them. In comparison, only 34 percent said the same about Congress, and just 31 percent shared confidence in mass media to report on the news "fully, accurately, and fairly."

Survey respondents were also more likely to trust state governments, 55 percent, and the American people as a whole when it comes to making judgements about the issues facing the country, 54 percent, according to the survey, than news organizations and federal lawmakers, the survey shows.

Gallup also noted that between 40 percent and 48 percent of respondents said they trusted the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court, as well as "men and women in political life, the federal government’s handling of international problems, and the executive branch led by the president."

About 40 percent said their level of “trust and confidence” for President Biden and the executive branch was “a great deal” or “a fair amount," according to the poll.

The numbers share a trend with a similar survey conducted around this time last year, when 32 percent of Americans said they trusted Congress. A separate poll from last year found the same number of respondents, 32 percent, said they had good faith in the media.

The latest Gallup survey was conducted between Sep. 3-15, just a few weeks out from Election Day. The high levels of distrust for both Congress and the media come amid an already heavily polarized political climate as some incumbent senators and representatives battle to hold their seats.

The poll featured 1,007 U.S. respondents and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.