Democrats’ trust in US institutions falls to record low

In a striking new report from Gallup, Democrats’ confidence in the nation’s core institutions has reportedly dropped to a new low. According to the poll, the average level of trust that Democrats place in nine major American institutions has plummeted to 26%.

Gallup has consistently measured nine institutions since 1979 — organized religion, the military, the Supreme Court, public schools, banks, newspapers, Congress, organized labor and big business. 

Partisan Divergence

Democrats’ average confidence has decreased by five percentage points since last year, driven primarily by waning faith in the presidency and the police, according to the poll. By contrast, Republicans’ confidence has increased by nine percentage points, reaching 37% — its highest reading since 2020. 

Notably, Democrats’ confidence in the presidency dropped by 58 points since President Trump began his second term. Meanwhile, Republicans’ trust in the presidency has increased by 73 points. 

Democrats’ confidence rose in two institutions — higher ed and public schools — but fell in every other category. 

Political climate in NC may reflect the findings

Donald Bryson, CEO and president of the John Locke Foundation, offered his insights on how North Carolina reflects the national sentiment. 

“The Gallup data show that institutional confidence is increasingly reactive to political leadership, and North Carolina is no exception,” he said. 

He pointed to the challenges that may arise from mistrust in government institutions. 

“That volatility makes it harder to build the civic consensus needed for complex governance challenges — from education to energy to public safety,” said Bryson. 

Confidence Concentrated in Few Institutions, Overall trust remains low 

Eighteen institutions were measured in the 2025 survey, including the military, Congress, police, public schools, television news, the presidency, and more. Of these, science, small business, and the military scored the highest. The majority of all US adults expressed a “great deal,” or “quite a lot,” of confidence in those institutions — small business scoring 70%, the military 62%, and science 61%. 

However, only 28% of all US adults expressed strong confidence in key institutions — making it the fourth year in a row below a 30% average.  

“The most troubling insight from the Gallup data isn’t just that trust is low — it’s that it’s almost entirely partisan,” said Bryson. 

He emphasized a need for institutional trust in order to carry out good governance. 

“What we need instead,” Bryson said, “is trust built on institutions that function consistently, transparently, and within constitutional limits — regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.” 

Broader implications of mistrust in government 

Bryson noted the implications that institutional trust may have on effective policy and good governance. 

“A sustained erosion of trust in institutions undermines both the perceived and actual legitimacy of public policy,” he said. 

Bryson noted the importance of maintaining a shared goal, even through partisan differences.

“Good governance depends on a shared foundation of trust — even when we disagree on outcomes. Without that, we risk substituting institutional integrity with tribal loyalty.”

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