Partnership Survey Finds Differing Perceptions of Public Trust in Government
A survey of more than 2,000 individuals conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and Freedman Consulting found that many Americans lack confidence in the federal government; however, the same sentiment does not translate to federal employees or agencies.
While government trust is not a unique polling topic, the Partnership also included an additional line of questioning to track notable perception shifts. This survey presented questions about the government as a whole and, contrary to other reports, additional separate questions about government components. Also included in the survey were questions intended to illustrate what influences public trust and expectations.
In doing so, the survey determined that while the public has general misgivings about the federal government, they have positive opinions concerning public servants and most of the federal agencies.
Respondents more favorably than unfavorably viewed 12 of the 13 well-known agencies. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was the only agency to have an unfavorable majority opinion. In contrast, there were some instances where the views were overwhelmingly positive, such as with the National Park Service (NPS) viewed favorably by the public.
Moreover, at a rate greater than two-to-one, the public agreed federal employees are as competent as the average private sector employee. Those participating in the focus groups responded well to videos of high-achieving public servants and were more positive when non-elected employees were emphasized.
“When we asked participants to focus on the non-elected employees in career service, their responses were much more positive. We believe this is a key to change,” noted Max Stier, the Partnership's Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The survey’s findings suggest that emphasizing the everyday work of public servants might help increase public trust by shifting how Americans perceive the federal government. By examining the causes of distrust, the Partnership believes the government can enhance its relationship with the public, especially in areas not governed by elections.
The survey report noted three main reasons for the mistrust:
Poor personal experiences;
The belief that the federal government is ineffective; and,
A perception that some parts of the population receive better treatment than others.
In light of widespread government criticism, it only takes a few negative impressions to damage an individual's perception of the government. According to the Partnership, this can only be addressed by a comprehensive, systematic, and coordinated approach to good governance.