- Associated Press
- April 19, 2010
Poll: Trust in Big Government Near Historic Low

The poll illustrates the ominous situation facing President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party as they struggle to maintain their comfortable congressional majorities in this fall's elections.


WASHINGTON -- Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they can't trust Washington and they have little faith that the massive federal bureaucracy can solve the nation's ills, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center that shows public confidence in the federal government at one of the lowest points in a half-century.

The poll released Sunday illustrates the ominous situation facing President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party as they struggle to maintain their comfortable congressional majorities in this fall's elections. Midterm prospects are typically tough for the party in power. Add a toxic environment like this and lots of incumbent Democrats could be out of work.

The survey found that just 22 percent of those questioned say they can trust Washington almost always or most of the time and just 19 percent say they are basically content with it. Nearly half say the government negatively effects their daily lives, a sentiment that's grown over the past dozen years.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/ci.Poll%3A+Trust+in+Big+Government+Near+Historic+Low.opinionPrint

That's what happens when you elect the inmates to run the asylum...

This story is also on Bloomberg today. The story goes on to say that the public doesn't view Republicans much better. Congress in general received a 17% favorable rating, a historic low.

Big question: will this anti-incumbent mood express itself in the voting booths come November? I doubt it.

I am not shocked, people have been disenchanted with the gov't for years and years.

^^^can't see the forest for the trees^^^

True. And yet they want to cede more and more power to the government, and look to the government to fulfill more and more of their desires. The US public has a seemingly limitless capacity for self-delusion.

So, I guess that we really do have a representative government.

Amen, SF!

I think my prayers are working on the Heathen^^^^^

Hey, who cares about all this government stuff?!

Now, did you see Dancing With The Stars last week...

It's that big brother syndrome. Not only the traditional big brother side, with the ever watching eye, but the one that no matter how many times they say they won't punch you in the arm anymore...they keep doing it every time they get a chance. But, we keep falling for it. It doesn't matter which party is in control in my opinion. People want someone to lean on, even if they're lied too, i.e. Government, religion, Doctors...

In similarly shocking news......4 out of 5 Americans do not understand soccer (the other one is asleep during games).

Interestingly, (according to a report I heard on the radio this morning), the last two times this question polled this low were in 1994 before the midterm elections, and 1980 before TWO (the worthless one) was thrown out on his can.