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# Just 19% of Americans Say They Trust the Government in Washington
- URL: https://ivn.us/public-trust-government-low-can-go/
- Published: 2013-10-25T17:34:32.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-22T19:42:41.000Z
- Author: Jane Susskind
- Tags: News

As of October 16, public trust in the government rests at near-historic lows, with just 19% of Americans saying they trust the government in Washington to do the right thing always or most of the time.

While this isn't the worst response Pew has on record, with [August 2011](http://www.people-press.org/2011/08/25/section-4-anger-and-distrust-in-government/?ref=ivn.us) paralleling the distrust we see today, it's pretty bad, with the government shutdown drastically impacting public perception of our elected officials.

Pew Research Center [graphed](http://www.people-press.org/2013/10/18/trust-in-government-interactive/?ref=ivn.us) public opinion to find that, with the exception of some spikes in trust, over time our trust in the government in Washington has spiraled downward: Credit: Pew Research Center

![Public Trust in Government](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/Public-Trust-in-Government.jpg)

Despite short term agreement, the government will find itself yet again racing the clock come 2014, and how they decide to proceed will significantly impact how the public perceives them.

**Can they regain your trust?**