According to this recent Gallup poll, public trust in the Federal Government is at or near all time lows.
Among the findings: Barely half trust the government to handle international problems, the lowest number ever. And less than half express faith in the government handling domestic issues, the lowest findings since 1976. Faith in the executive branch has fallen to 43% - only 3% higher than it was just before President Nixon's resignation in 1974. At the same time, trust in Congress, at 50%, is its lowest ever.Gallup has asked about trust in government since 1972. It conducted this year's poll Sept. 14-16 and found the following:
-- Barely half of Americans, 51%, say they have a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in the federal government to handle international problems.
-- Less than half of Americans, 47%, now have at least a fair amount of trust in the federal government to handle domestic problems.
The apportionment of this can be debated. I put about 70% of it on the White House (Iraq, Katrina, and the bifurcated economy), and 30% on the Congress (spending taxpayer money like no tomorrow, chasing interns, or having gay sex in airport bathrooms).
Some time I think Mark Twain was right: "Why Vote? It only encourages them!"
Some time I think Mark Twain was right: "Why Vote? It only encourages them!"
4 comments:
While I am truly saddend by the actions of our (USA) government over the past several years, I wouldn't choose to live anywhere else.
I appreciate Twain's sentiment and humor, but recognize that election cycles really do bring about change. Citizen involvement at every level (local, state national) can have an impact on how are governed.
I agree with John, and this is why I strongly believe in voting and making my voice heard. Another part of the problem is the very aggressive news reporting we have nowadays, when the pressure of filling up 24-hour news channels leads to over-reporting on issues that may not directly affect governance. Nevertheless, while I'm disappointed in a government that still hasn't managed to clean up after Katrina and has mired us in Iraq, I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else...and neither, evidently, would the millions of people who choose to live here illegally!
Life. . .when I read your statistics sometimes I think. . . they spent money to find that out. . . I could've told them that.
Your stats today are the same. . . I didn't need Gallup to tell me what the general feeling is in my little world. . . .
I think you are correct in your assesment that followed. . . . they get to much power and think that they're above the rest of us.
Ciao
It's hard to believe that it could be worse other places than it is here in the US. But, I have a friend that just got back from a vacation on the east coast. The resort he stayed at has a training program agreement with the Russian hotel industry. The Russians are thinking about backing out of the agreement because after their workers come to the US, they don't want to go back to Russia.
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