Americans’ faith in major societal institutions hasn’t
improved over the past year following a slump in public confidence in 2022, reported Gallup.
The five worst-rated institutions -- newspapers, the criminal justice system, television news, big business and Congress -- stir confidence in less than 20% of Americans, with Congress, at 8%, the only one in single digits.
Last year, Gallup recorded significant
declines in public confidence in 11 of the 16 institutions it tracks
annually, with the presidency and Supreme Court suffering the most. The share
of Americans expressing a great deal or fair amount of confidence in these fell
15 and 11 percentage points, respectively.
Neither score recovered appreciably in the latest
poll, with confidence in the court now at 27% and the presidency at 26%.
However, the survey was conducted June 1-22, 2023, before the Supreme Court
issued decisions affecting affirmative action in education, college loan
forgiveness and LGBTQ+ Americans’ access to creative services. Any or all of
these decisions could have altered the court’s image as well as that of
President Joe Biden, who spoke out against the rulings.
Public confidence in each of the other
14 institutions remains near last year’s relatively low level, with none
of the scores worsening or improving meaningfully.
Overall, the new poll finds small business enjoying
the most public trust, with 65% of Americans having a great deal or fair amount
of confidence in it. A majority, 60%, also have high confidence in the
military, while less than half (43%) feel this way about the next highest-rated
institution, the police.
The medical system and the church or organized
religion round out the top five annually rated institutions, albeit with meager
34% and 32% confidence ratings, respectively. Another six -- the U.S. Supreme
Court, banks, public schools, the presidency, large technology companies and
organized labor -- earn between 25% and 27% confidence.
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