---
"title": "Most federal agencies viewed positively, despite frustration and anger with government"
"description": "The public has long expressed a more negative opinion of “the government” than of the departments and agencies that actually carry out the work of government."
"date": "2013-10-03"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Carroll Doherty"
    "job_title": "Former Director, Political Research"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/carroll-doherty/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2013/10/03/most-federal-agencies-viewed-positively-despite-frustration-and-anger-with-government/"
"categories":
  - "Federal Government"
---

# Most federal agencies viewed positively, despite frustration and anger with government

[![FT_13.10.03_favorAgencies_310px](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/10/FT_13.10.03_favorAgencies_310px.png){.alignright width=280}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2010/04/18/distrust-discontent-anger-and-partisan-rancor/)

As the government shutdown enters its third day, [anger at the federal government](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2013/09/30/anger-at-government-most-pronounced-among-conservative-republicans/) is as high as it has been in many years.

But the public has long expressed a more negative opinion of “the government” than of the departments and agencies that actually carry out the work of government.

Three years ago, the Pew Research Center [conducted a major study of public attitudes about government](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2010/04/18/distrust-discontent-anger-and-partisan-rancor/). At that time, shortly before the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Americans were about as critical of government as they are today. Just 22% said they could trust the government almost always or most of the time; 26% expressed that view in January of this year.

Yet in that 2010 survey, clear majorities expressed favorable opinions of many of the government departments and agencies tested. Only one – the Department of Education – was viewed more unfavorably than favorably.

[As the 2010 report on opinions about government noted](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2010/04/18/section-5-views-of-federal-departments-and-agencies/), favorable ratings for several departments had declined since the late 1990s. The most striking shift was in views of the education department: In 1997, 61% had a favorable impression of the Department of Education, but that fell to 40% in 2010.

However, favorable ratings for Congress continue to be far lower than for any of the federal departments or agencies tested in the 2010 survey. [In July of this year](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2013/07/23/many-say-economic-recovery-is-still-a-long-way-off/), just 21% had a favorable impression of Congress, while 70% viewed the institution unfavorably – among the most negative measures in nearly three decades of polling.