{"id":47358,"date":"2020-09-14T14:58:21","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T19:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:02:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:02:34","slug":"americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans\u2019 Views of Government: Low Trust, but Some Positive Performance Ratings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone wp-image-20076091\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20076091\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Liu Jie\/Xinhua via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans&#8217; evaluations of the federal government&#8217;s performance in a variety of areas, as well as their attitudes about the proper size and role of government. For this analysis, we surveyed U.S. adults online and by telephone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We surveyed 11,001 U.S. adults online in July and August 2020. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP\u2019s methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We also surveyed 1,750 U.S. adults by telephone in July and August 2020. The surveys were conducted in both English and Spanish over the phone under the direction of Abt Associates. Respondents to this survey were randomly selected via a combination of landline and cellphone random-digit-dial samples. To ensure that the results of this survey reflect a balanced cross-section of the nation, the data are weighted to match the U.S. adult population by gender, age, education, race and ethnicity and other categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government.topline.pdf\">questions used for the report<\/a>, along with responses, and its <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/methodology-231\">methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59514\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-0-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e9e7df\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e9e7df;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-0.png?resize=480,654 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-0.png?resize=782,1065 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-0.png?resize=828,1128 828w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"572\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-0.png?w=420\" alt=\"Positive views of govt. performance on terrorism, disasters; negative views on public health, poverty\" class=\"wp-image-59514 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For years, public trust in the federal government has hovered at near-record lows. That remains the case today, as the United States struggles with a pandemic and economic recession. Just 20% of U.S. adults say they trust the government in Washington to \u201cdo the right thing\u201d just about always or most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet Americans also have long expressed positive views of the federal government\u2019s performance in several specific areas. And majorities <em>want<\/em> the government to play a major role on everything from keeping the country safe from terrorism to ensuring access to health care and alleviating poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attitudes about the appropriate role for government and its performance have changed only modestly since 2017, though Democrats have become more critical of government performance in some areas since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the public overall, majorities say the government does a very good or somewhat good job keeping the country safe from terrorism (72%), responding to natural disasters (62%), ensuring safe food and medicine (62%), strengthening the economy (54%) and maintaining infrastructure (53%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans are far more critical of how the government handles several other issues, including managing the immigration system (just 34% say it does a good job), helping people get out of poverty (36%) and effectively handling threats to public health (42%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Partisanship continues to be a major factor in attitudes about the government\u2019s performance and its role. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are broadly positive about the government\u2019s performance in most areas. Still, while substantial majorities of Republicans say the government is doing well in dealing in addressing natural disasters (89%), terrorism (87%) and the economy (80%), far fewer rate the government\u2019s performance positively when it comes to helping people get out of poverty (59%) or managing the immigration system (58%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats and Democratic leaners are far more negative; for example, just 18% say the government does a good job assisting people to get out of poverty while 17% give the government positive ratings for dealing with public health threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is more common ground among partisans in views of the role the government<em> should<\/em> play. Large majorities of Democrats (no fewer than about three-quarters) say the government should play a major role in all 10 areas included in the survey. Republicans are less uniformly supportive of a significant government role, but half or more say it should play a major role in nine of 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are among the findings of Pew Research Center\u2019s study of attitudes about government, which updates studies from 2019,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2017\/12\/14\/government-gets-lower-ratings-for-handling-health-care-environment-disaster-response\/\">2017<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2015\/11\/23\/beyond-distrust-how-americans-view-their-government\/\">2015<\/a>. This study is based on two national surveys by Pew Research Center: A survey conducted July 27-Aug. 2 among 11,001 U.S. adults, including 9,114 registered voters, on the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel; and a separate survey, conducted July 23-Aug. 4 on cellphones and landlines among 1,750 U.S. adults, including 1,455 registered voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"other-findings-from-the-surveys\">Other findings from the surveys<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59519\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-1-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f3f2f0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"618\" height=\"1016\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-1.png?resize=480,789 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-1.png?resize=618,1016 618w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-1.png?w=618\" alt=\"Public trust in federal government near historic lows for more than a decade\" class=\"wp-image-59519 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f3f2f0; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Just 20% trust the federal government.<\/strong> During the last three presidencies \u2013 through the final years of the George W. Bush administration and the presidencies of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the share of Americans who say they trust the government just about always or most of the time has been below 30%. Today, 20% say they trust the government. While the share of Republicans who trust the government has increased during Trump\u2019s time as president, only 28% say they trust the government, compared with 12% of Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Democrats\u2019 anger at federal government rises.<\/strong> Among both Democrats and Republicans, the dominant feeling toward the federal government is frustration, rather than anger or contentment. Still, roughly a third of Democrats (34%) say they are angry with the federal government, the highest share in more than two decades. Among Republicans, anger at the federal government decreased sharply when Trump became president. Today, 14% say they are angry with the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59522\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-2-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"edebe2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-2.png?resize=480,383 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-2.png?resize=782,623 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-2.png?resize=828,660 828w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"510\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-2.png?w=640\" alt=\"Majority of Americans say the country \u2018can always find ways to solve our problems\u2019\" class=\"wp-image-59522 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #edebe2; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Majority continues to say that Americans can solve problems.<\/strong> Despite the pandemic and the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/06\/30\/publics-mood-turns-grim-trump-trails-biden-on-most-personal-traits-major-issues\/\">grim national mood<\/a>, a majority of adults (57%) continue to say that, as Americans, we can always find ways to solve our problems and get what we want. This is essentially unchanged since September 2019, when 55% expressed optimism in the country\u2019s ability to solve its problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say that Americans can always find ways to solve our problems. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans say this (65%), compared with half of Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;majorities-of-both-republicans-and-democrats-see-a-major-role-for-the-federal-government-in-many-areas&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"majorities-of-both-republicans-and-democrats-see-a-major-role-for-the-federal-government-in-many-areas\">Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats see a major role for the federal government in many areas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Majorities of adults say that the federal government should play a major role on a wide variety of issues. Roughly nine-in-ten say the government should play a major role in keeping the country safe from terrorism (91%), responding to natural disasters (87%) and ensuring safe food and medicine (87%). Smaller majorities say it should play a\u00a0major role in helping people get out of poverty (62%) and ensuring access to health care (65%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59526\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-3-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ededec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"618\" height=\"1156\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-3.png?resize=480,898 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-3.png?resize=618,1156 618w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-3.png?w=618\" alt=\"Wide partisan divides on whether govt. should play \u2018major role\u2019 on health care, the environment, poverty\" class=\"wp-image-59526 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ededec; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across the board, substantial majorities of Democrats and Democratic leaners say that government should play a major role in addressing these issues. There is greater variance in opinions among Republicans and GOP leaners. While 95% of Republicans say the government should have a major role in keeping the country safe from terrorism, and a sizable majority says the same about managing the immigration system (85%), only about half say the government should play a major role in protecting the environment (52%) or helping people get out of poverty (50%). And just four-in-ten Republicans (42%) say the federal government should play a major role in ensuring access to health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans and Democrats are farthest apart in how they view government\u2019s role in ensuring access to health care, with a 43 percentage point gap between the share in each party who say the federal government should have a major role. There is also a 38-point gap on the issue of protecting the environment and a 24-point gap on helping people out of poverty, with Democrats more likely to say the government should have a major role in each case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are slightly more likely than Democrats to say the federal government should have a major role in managing the U.S. immigration system (85% of Republicans vs. 78% of Democrats) and keeping the country safe from terrorism (95% vs. 89%). Nearly identical shares of Republicans (77%) and Democrats (79%) say the government should play a major role in strengthening the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;more-want-government-to-play-a-major-role-than-say-it-does-a-good-job&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-want-government-to-play-a-major-role-than-say-it-does-a-good-job\">More want government to play a major role than say it does a good job<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59529\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-4-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f0f0ef\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f0f0ef;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-4.png?resize=480,843 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-4.png?resize=618,1086 618w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"545\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-4.png?w=310\" alt=\"Sizable gap between public\u2019s views of government\u2019s role and its performance\" class=\"wp-image-59529 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Majorities of adults say the federal government should play a major role in 10 issue areas included on the survey, including protecting the environment, maintaining infrastructure and helping people get out of poverty. And yet the shares who say the federal government is doing a good job on each of these issues are consistently much lower than the shares who want it to play a major role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This gap is largest when it comes to managing the U.S. immigration system. About eight-in-ten adults (81%) say the federal government should play a major role in managing the U.S. immigration system, though about one-third (34%) who say it is doing a good job of this. And nearly eight-in-ten (78%) say the federal government should play a major role in handling threats to public health, while 42% who say it is doing a good job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;republicans-much-more-likely-to-say-the-government-is-doing-a-good-job-of-handling-threats-to-public-health-responding-to-natural-disasters&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"republicans-much-more-likely-to-say-the-government-is-doing-a-good-job-of-handling-threats-to-public-health-responding-to-natural-disasters\">Republicans much more likely to say the government is doing a good job of handling threats to public health, responding to natural disasters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59533\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-5-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ececeb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"616\" height=\"1158\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-5.png?resize=480,902 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-5.png?resize=616,1158 616w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-5.png?w=616\" alt=\"Largest partisan gaps in views of government performance on handling public health, disasters, environment\" class=\"wp-image-59533 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ececeb; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than three years into the Trump administration, the partisan divides over assessments of the federal government\u2019s performance in a number of issue areas have grown, with Republicans much more likely than Democrats to provide a positive assessment of the job the federal government is doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are especially positive in their assessments of the government\u2019s performance in responding to natural disasters, with nearly nine-in-ten Republicans (89%) saying the government is doing a very or somewhat good job of this. Large majorities of Republicans also say the government is doing a very or somewhat good job of keeping the country safe from terrorism (87%) and strengthening the economy (80%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only area in which a majority of Democrats say the federal government is doing a very or somewhat good job is in keeping the country safe from terrorism, with 61% of Democrats saying this. Half of Democrats also say the government is doing a good job of ensuring safe food and medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid national concerns over the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/topics\/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19\/\">coronavirus outbreak<\/a>, 70% of Republicans say the federal government is doing a very or somewhat good job of effectively handling threats to public health, compared with just 17% of Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans and Democrats are similarly divided in their assessments of the job the federal government is doing in protecting the environment and in responding to natural disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59537\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-6-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"eeeceb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #eeeceb;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-6.png?resize=480,770 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-6.png?resize=782,1254 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-6.png?resize=832,1334 832w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"673\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-6.png?w=420\" alt=\"Since Trump\u2019s election, Republicans are far more positive about government, Democrats more negative\" class=\"wp-image-59537 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are at least 50 percentage points more likely than Democrats to say the government is doing a good job in each case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On several issues, the gap between Republicans\u2019 and Democrats assessments of the federal government\u2019s performance has increased since December 2017, shortly after Donald Trump\u2019s election as president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the differences have increased even more since 2015, when Barack Obama was president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On protecting the environment, for example, comparable shares of Republicans (62%) and Democrats (58%) said the government was doing a good job in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, more than twice as many Republicans (71%) as Democrats (28%) gave the government positive ratings. Today, the gap is even wider (73% of Republicans, 18% of Democrats).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, five years ago majorities of Democrats (82%) and Republicans (78%) said the federal government did a good job responding to natural disasters. The share of Democrats who express positive views of the government\u2019s handling of natural disasters declined to 51% in 2017 and 39% today. Republicans have remained overwhelmingly positive (89% currently).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The partisan gap in the government\u2019s handling of immigration has increased markedly after Trump\u2019s election. The share of Republicans saying the government is doing a good job of this has increased from 38% to 58% since 2017, while the share of Democrats saying the government is doing a good job has decreased from 29% to 14%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;public-trust-in-government-remains-low&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"public-trust-in-government-remains-low\">Public trust in government remains low<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59543\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-7-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f5f4f3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f5f4f3;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-7.png?resize=480,560 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-7.png?resize=782,912 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-7.png?resize=828,966 828w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"490\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-7.png?w=420\" alt=\"Public trust in the federal government has been low for more than a decade\" class=\"wp-image-59543 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the onset of the Great Recession in 2007, the share of Americans who say they trust the federal government to do what is right either just about always or most of the time has hovered near 20%. This remains true today, with 2% saying they trust the government just about always and 18% saying they trust the government most of the time. Nearly eight-in-ten (79%) say they trust the federal government to do what is right either some of the time (65%) or never (14%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among Republicans, trust in the federal government has increased since the end of Barack Obama\u2019s presidency. A within-administration moving average places the average share of Republicans who trusted the federal government just about always or most of the time at 11% shortly before the 2016 presidential election. The average share of Republicans expressing trust in the federal government increased to 25% in April 2017 and currently stands at 28%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59548\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-8-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"eeebe9\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #eeebe9;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-8.png?resize=480,394 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-8.png?resize=782,641 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-8.png?resize=960,787 960w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-8.png?resize=1200,984 1200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-8.png?resize=1256,1030 1256w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"525\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-8.png?w=640\" alt=\"Republicans\u2019 trust in the federal government has increased since the beginning of Trump\u2019s term in office\" class=\"wp-image-59548 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, just 12% of Democrats trust the federal government to do what is right \u2013 an historic low. Prior to Trump\u2019s inauguration, the lowest average share of Democrats saying they trusted the government always or most of the time over the more than 60 years since the question was first asked, was 17%, towards the end of George W. Bush\u2019s administration (and prior to the 2008 election) in 2008. More Democrats now say they never trust the federal government to do what is right (17%) than say they can trust it always or most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59552\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-9-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e3d8bb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e3d8bb;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-9.png?resize=480,502 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-9.png?resize=782,818 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-9.png?resize=822,860 822w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"439\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-9.png?w=420\" alt=\"Overall feelings toward the federal government have been steady in recent years\" class=\"wp-image-59552 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall feelings about the federal government are little different than they were in March 2019. About a quarter (24%) say they feel angry toward the federal government today (21% said this in March 2019). A 57% majority reports frustration, while 18% say they are basically content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall feelings toward the federal government have been remarkably stable over the past five years. The shares who say they are angry (24%), frustrated (57%) and content (18%) with the government are each identical or nearly identical to October 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59558\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-10-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebe9e7\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"794\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-10.png?resize=480,611 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-10.png?resize=624,794 624w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-10.png?w=624\" alt=\"About a third of Democrats now say they feel angry toward the government\" class=\"wp-image-59558 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebe9e7; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the overall share who are angry is unchanged, Republicans and Democrats have moved in opposite directions since 2015. A year before the 2016 presidential election, one-third of Republicans said they were angry with the government, compared with about one-in-ten Democrats (11%). About a year after Trump\u2019s inauguration, the share of Republicans saying they were angry had declined to 19%, while the share of Democrats saying this had increased to 29%. Today, about one-third of Democrats (34%) say they are angry, compared with just 14% of Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;partisan-divisions-persist-over-size-role-of-government&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"partisan-divisions-persist-over-size-role-of-government\">Partisan divisions persist over size, role of government<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59561\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-11-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f4f3f1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"614\" height=\"1278\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-11.png?resize=480,999 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-11.png?resize=614,1278 614w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-11.png?w=614\" alt=\"Nearly six-in-ten say government should do more to solve problems\" class=\"wp-image-59561 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f4f3f1; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly six-in-ten U.S. adults (59%) say the government should do more to solve problems, compared with about four-in-ten (39%) who say government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The share who say government should do more to solve problems has increased slightly, by 4 percentage points, since September 2019. The share who say this is 12 points higher than it was in April 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While two-thirds of Republicans (66%) say that government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals, the share of Republicans and Republican leaners who say government should do more to solve problems has increased&nbsp;\u2013 from 23% to 32% \u2013 since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, the share who say government should do more to solve problems has increased from about two-thirds (68%) in 2015 to about eight-in-ten (82%) today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-59565\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/pp_09-14-20_views-of_-government-00-12-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"eeeadf\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #eeeadf;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-12.png?resize=480,608 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-12.png?resize=782,990 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-12.png?resize=818,1036 818w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"532\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government-00-12.png?w=420\" alt=\"Large partisan gap in views of size of government\" class=\"wp-image-59565 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About half of Americans (52%) say they prefer a bigger government providing more services, while 45% say they prefer a smaller government providing fewer services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(Americans\u2019 views on this question about the size of government have held relatively steady over the past four years. However, there are modest\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2015\/05\/13\/from-telephone-to-the-web-the-challenge-of-mode-of-interview-effects-in-public-opinion-polls\/\"><em>mode differences<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0on this question. Therefore, caution should be used in comparing responses to this question from the current online American Trends Panel survey to the long-term phone trend. Please\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/appendix-3\">see the appendix<\/a>\u00a0for more details.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Men are nearly evenly divided, with about half (51%) preferring a smaller government and a similar share (48%) preferring a larger government. Among women, a majority (56%) prefer a bigger government, while four-in-ten prefer a smaller government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White adults are much more likely than Black or Hispanic adults to prefer a smaller government providing fewer services. There are notable differences among age groups, as well: More than six-in-ten adults ages 18 to 29 (64%) prefer a bigger government, as do a narrower majority of 30 to 49-year-olds (56%). Adults ages 50 to 64 are evenly divided, while those 65 and older are the only age group in which a majority (55%) prefer a smaller government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans and Democrats are sharply divided in their views of the size of government. About three-quarters of Republicans (74%) say they prefer a smaller government providing fewer services. A nearly identical share of Democrats (76%) say they prefer a bigger government providing more services. Among conservative Republicans, more than eight-in-ten (83%) prefer a smaller government that provides fewer services; an identical share of liberal Democrats prefer a larger government that provides more services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For years, public trust in the federal government has hovered at near-record lows. That remains the case today, as the United States struggles with a pandemic and economic recession.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"Majorities in both parties say federal government should play a major role on public health, economy, many other areas","sub_title":"Majorities in both parties say federal government should play a major role on public health, economy, many other areas","_crdt_document":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","relatedPosts":[],"reportMaterials":[{"key":"35df8f4d-b14d-47e9-b822-ef1ea6a02334","type":"report","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government.full_.report.pdf"},{"key":"af60a81b-edca-4dab-8901-a67dc0e6c4ad","type":"topline","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/PP_09.14.20_views.of_.government.topline.pdf"}],"multiSectionReport":[{"key":"_migrate_0","postId":47368},{"key":"_migrate_1","postId":47379},{"key":"_migrate_2","postId":47348}],"package_parts__enabled":false,"package_parts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"bylines":[],"acknowledgements":[],"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[]},"categories":[381,232,77],"tags":[],"bylines":[],"collection":[],"datasets":[1122],"level_of_effort":[],"primary_audience":[],"information_type":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[458],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[],"research-teams":[520],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-47358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-covid-19-politics","category-economic-conditions","category-trust-in-government","datasets-american-trends-panel-wave-71","formats-report","research-teams-politics"],"label":false,"post_parent":0,"word_count":2654,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/09\/14\/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings\/","art_direction":{"A1":{"id":59587,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp?w=564&h=317&crop=1","width":564,"height":317,"chartArt":false},"A2":{"id":59587,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"A3":{"id":59587,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp?w=194&h=110&crop=1","width":194,"height":110,"chartArt":false},"A4":{"id":59587,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"XL":{"id":59587,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp?w=720&h=405&crop=1","width":720,"height":405,"chartArt":false},"social":{"id":59587,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/09\/PP_20.08.28_ViewsOfGovt_feature-jpg.webp?w=1200&h=628&crop=1","width":1200,"height":628,"chartArt":false}},"_embeds":[],"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[{"id":47358,"title":"Americans\u2019 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