News
Apr 19 2010
Favorability of federal agencies plummets
A new major national poll regarding Americans' trust in government finds that favorable opinions of seven federal agencies have dropped significantly since the last time the survey was conducted in the late 1990s.
The poll, "Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor," by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press surveyed more than 2,000 Americans from mid-March to April about their opinions of government and major institutions.
Pollsters asked about 13 federal agencies, including the military and U.S. Postal Service. Compared with the last time the survey was conducted in 1997 and 1998, the Education Department's favorability rating dropped the most, by 21 percentage points to 40 percent.
Other agencies down from the late 1990s included the Food and Drug Administration (down by 17 points to 58 percent), the Social Security Administration (down 13 points to 49 percent), the Environmental Protection Agency (down 12 points to 57 percent), the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (down 12 points to 61 percent), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (down 12 points to 67 percent). The Defense Department also dropped nine points, but maintained a 67 percent approval rating.
The most popular agency was the Postal Service, with an 83 percent favorability rating, down six points from October 1997.
Opinions of the Justice Department (minus five points to 51 percent) and Department of Veterans Affairs (down two points to 57 percent) remained relatively steady.
The only two agencies to see increased popularity were the Central Intelligence Agency (52 percent, up one point) and the Internal Revenue Service (47 percent, up nine points).
Despite the lackluster results, 70 percent of Americans think the government is a good place to work and 56 percent said they would want their children to work in the public sector. All of the federal agencies polled rank better than Congress, which had a 26 percent favorability rating.
The poll, "Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor," by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press surveyed more than 2,000 Americans from mid-March to April about their opinions of government and major institutions.
Pollsters asked about 13 federal agencies, including the military and U.S. Postal Service. Compared with the last time the survey was conducted in 1997 and 1998, the Education Department's favorability rating dropped the most, by 21 percentage points to 40 percent.
Other agencies down from the late 1990s included the Food and Drug Administration (down by 17 points to 58 percent), the Social Security Administration (down 13 points to 49 percent), the Environmental Protection Agency (down 12 points to 57 percent), the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (down 12 points to 61 percent), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (down 12 points to 67 percent). The Defense Department also dropped nine points, but maintained a 67 percent approval rating.
The most popular agency was the Postal Service, with an 83 percent favorability rating, down six points from October 1997.
Opinions of the Justice Department (minus five points to 51 percent) and Department of Veterans Affairs (down two points to 57 percent) remained relatively steady.
The only two agencies to see increased popularity were the Central Intelligence Agency (52 percent, up one point) and the Internal Revenue Service (47 percent, up nine points).
Despite the lackluster results, 70 percent of Americans think the government is a good place to work and 56 percent said they would want their children to work in the public sector. All of the federal agencies polled rank better than Congress, which had a 26 percent favorability rating.
