Public trust in government near historic lows
Might 2016 be the year we break the fever? So far it’s not looking that way. The public remains in a foul mood, frustrated by stagnant incomes, a shrinking middle class and gruesome global terrorism. Just 19% say they trust the government to do what’s right. Moreover, most Republicans and many Democrats say they believe that, on the issues that matter most to them, the other side is winning. And not since the early 2000s has a majority of the public said the nation is on the right track, making these past dozen years the longest sustained stretch of national pessimism since the onset of polling.
click and drag in the plot area to zoom in  | 100  | e  | the  | i  | i  | state  | i  | state state  | i  | i  | 80  | 60  | 40  | i  | i  | i  | 20  | 1960  | 1970  | 1990  | 2000  | 2010  | 1980  | moving average  | individual polls  | click legend items to remove them from chart 