Gallup Poll: People Trust Local Governments

The federal government has seen its approval ratings sink like a rock in recent polls. But people still have faith in their local governments, a new Gallup poll indicates. The survey shows that 68 percent of American have a fair amount or a great deal of trust in their local governments, compared to 32 percent who have not very much or no confidence at all.

But the numbers get worse as the level of government rises. When it comes to state government, 57 percent of Americans have at least a fair amount of trust, and 42 percent don’t. And when it comes to the federal government, 47 percent have at least a fair amount of confidence in the executive branch, while 52 percent don’t. As for the legislative branch, only 31 percent have at least a fair amount of trust, while 69 percent don’t.

Americans' confidence in local government has stayed strong for more than a decade, Gallup says.