Americans have little confidence in many societal institutions, especially Congress and the news media — television and newspapers. More than half have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the military, while smaller shares have confidence in the police and small business. Many Americans want to increase government spending on veterans, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and education. Far more want to decrease than increase spending on foreign aid.
What you need to know about Americans' confidence in institutions and attitudes toward government spending, as of the November 21 - 24, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- Of the 15 institutions asked about in the poll, there are few for which most Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence: A little more than half (54%) say they have confidence in the military and a similar proportion (50%) have confidence in small business
- The share of Americans who have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in each of the following is about one-third or less: the medical system (35%), banks (32%), public schools (32%), the church or organized religion (28%), and organized labor (26%). Even smaller shares trust each of newspapers (22%), television news (17%), and big business (14%)
- Of the 15 institutions asked about, Congress is the least likely to have Americans' confidence: Only 10% say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in it. More have that much confidence in the Supreme Court (25%) and the presidency (30%)
- 38% trust the police and 21% confidence the criminal justice system
- Democrats are more likely than Republicans to place a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the medical system, public schools, organized labor, newspapers, and TV news
- More Republicans than Democrats say they have confidence in five government institutions included in the poll: the military, the presidency, the police, the Supreme Court, and Congress. Republicans are also more likely to have confidence in small business, the church or organized religion, banks, the criminal justice system, and big business
- Majorities of Americans want the government to increase spending by either a lot or a little on veterans (73%), Social Security (71%), Medicare (65%), education (60%), and Medicaid (57%)
- Nearly half (47%) want an increase in spending on SNAP. Less Americans (40%) want to increase spending on national defense, though this is more than the share who want to decrease national defense spending (25%)
- More than twice as many Americans want to decrease spending on foreign aid as want to increase it (45% vs. 20%)
Learn more about this poll here.
Image: Getty
