Barely more than one of every 10 Americans accept at face value information provided to them by any of the hundreds of federal departments and agencies, according to the latest in a lengthening string of surveys exposing the credibility crisis of government at all levels.

“The percentage of people who said they trust information from federal agencies dropped from 18% in 2024 to 11% in 2026. The seven-point drop was the largest among 15 information sources,” USAFacts said in a statement last week describing the results of the survey that was conducted on its behalf by AP/NORC. “In 2024, people reported trusting federal agencies about as much as national newspapers or cable news networks. Today, fewer people report ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a bit’ of trust in federal agencies [compared] to YouTube and social media.”

The survey also found that 43% of its respondents point to “relying on different facts” as the main source of public disagreement on major issues.

State agencies fared only a little better than those at the federal level, showing a 1% decline in public confidence in the information published by that level of government. “The President” showed a 4% decline in public confidence in the survey. The biggest improvements in public confidence were turned in by public radio/TV, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, and local newspapers at 4%, 4% and 3% respectively.

The USAFacts survey results come hard on the heels of Gallup’s release on September 7, 2026, of the results of its annual measure of public support for public education in America. With only 32% of the respondents saying they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with public schools from kindergarten through the 12th grade, the confidence level is at its lowest point in the 27 years Gallup has run this survey. The previous low came in 2000 at 36%.

Considering the crucial importance of public confidence in what government tells citizens, members of the House of Representatives were not eager to comment on the new surveys. The Washington Stand reached out for comment from 13 House Republicans and 13 House Democrats but received responses from only a couple of the GOPers.

“Samuel Adams once wrote that ‘nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust be men of unexceptionable characters.’ Sadly, public trust in the government is at a historic low, with many government officials being viewed as men and women lacking in character,” Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) told TWS. 

“If public trust in government is to rise, public officials must keep their word and strive to serve the American people rather than their own self-interest,” he added. “Ultimately, to be trusted, one must be a person of character who takes the time to reflect on their own conscience and the motives of their heart.”

Responding to the Gallup data on the precipitous decline in public confidence in the public school system, Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) told TWS that “the lack of satisfaction with public education today is unsurprising. Since its establishment, the Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion of your tax dollars, and the return on investment has been falling and failing test scores and growing literacy rates.”

Owens continued, “That’s why I’m so grateful for the Working Families Tax Cuts that brought with it some of the most consequential education reforms in history and brought parents’ CHOICE. This legislation introduces competition into education by making schools compete on their quality, innovation, family satisfaction, and outcomes which will raise standards across all schools.”

Burgess was referring to the tax cut legislation pushed by Trump and adopted by Congress last year. Among multiple provisions affecting a wide swath of American economic life, the legislation provides the Education Freedom Tax Credit that empowers parents to choose the schools public or private that are best suited to the needs of their children.

Other education-related provisions of the measure include:

• Expanded 529 plan eligibility to include expenses for vocational schools and apprenticeship programs.
• Doubled the amount families can withdraw annually from 529 plans to pay for K-12 education.
• Made permanent a tax exclusion for employers that help repay their employees’ student loans.

“Education is best overseen by the people closest to every student, and the Education Freedom Tax Credit makes school choice more accessible to those who understand a child’s needs best — their parents,” U.S. Senate Finance Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) said in a July 1 statement. “Through this new provision and others, the Working Families Tax Cuts are helping ensure every Idaho student has the educational foundation necessary to succeed.”