It has been more than half a century since most voters trusted the federal government most of the time. In a nation founded on the ideal that governments derive their only just authority from the consent of the governed, this raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy of the government itself.

A mere 28% of voters say they trust the federal government to do the right thing most of the time. Forty-six percent (46%) trust the federal government only some of the time while, while 25% say rarely or never.

Overall, trust in the government is up 6 points from a year ago but down 5 points from two years ago.

When asked about the balance of power in specific branches of government, the office of president has faced significant backlash. The number of voters who think the president has too much power has skyrocketed since last August, jumping over 20 points. Thirty-five percent (35%) held that view in August, and 58% believe it today.

At the same time, the number who think the Supreme Court has too much power fell double digits from 52% to 41%. Both numbers are likely influenced by the president's latest skirmishes with the Supreme Court.

The number who believe that Congress has too much power also dropped from 46% to 40%.

The most recent data cited is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen April 16, 2025. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.