Americans are losing faith in their fellow voters
Data: Gallup ; Chart: Axios Americans' trust in their fellow citizens' democratic judgment has fallen to its lowest recorded level in more than five decades, according to a new Gallup survey. The big picture: Americans' growing distrust of political leaders and institutions now extends to one another, with Democrats and Republicans showing similar levels of skepticism. By the numbers: 51% of U.S.…
A recent Gallup survey reveals that Americans' trust in their fellow citizens to make democratic judgments has hit an all-time low, falling to just 51%, according to the latest findings. This marks the lowest level recorded in over five decades, with the decline spanning various party affiliations. Democrats and Republicans both exhibit similar levels of skepticism, with 53% of Democrats, 51% of Republicans, and 49% of independents expressing a lack of trust in their fellow voters to make sound democratic decisions.
Notably, trust in Americans has dwindled from 86% in 1976 and 78% in both 2002 and 2005. Gallup notes that this lack of trust has persisted below the 60% mark since 2018. While Americans display greater faith in their local and state governments, with trust levels at 67% and 55% respectively, their confidence in fellow citizens remains notably low.
The survey also indicates that only 42% of Americans trust politicians holding or seeking public office, while 33% place their trust in the news media. Gallup's survey, conducted between September 1 and 17, 2026, involved 1,000 U.S. adults via landline and cellphone, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
