Government Mistrust High Among Young Americans, Many Cite Communication Failures: Survey
Young Americans do not trust the federal government, and many trust influencers more than politicians to give them information about the federal government. A new survey recommends ways to grow trust, before it’s too late to fill the federal workforce talent pipeline.
Young Americans do not trust the federal government at alarming rates, and it could have major impacts on the federal government’s ability to recruit younger workers into the federal workforce.
In the spring, a survey from the Partnership for Public Service found that just 15 percent of Americans aged 18-34 trust the federal government. That’s the lowest of any age group polled by the Partnership.
Since then, the Partnership conducted focus groups of young adults and conducted a second survey in August of 1,000 U.S. adults in that age group.
In the August survey, participants were asked to rate how much they trust the federal government on a scale from zero to ten. Just 30 percent of respondents rated the government between six and ten. The survey found that mistrust was prominent regardless of party affiliation with just 37 percent of Democrats, 30 percent of Republicans, and 23 percent of independents giving a score between six and ten.
And when asked what two words come to mind when thinking of the federal government, words like “corrupt, disorganized, incompetent, slow” were among the mostly mentioned.
Communication Concerns
Communication is an area of particular concern for young Americans. Just 28 percent of respondents say the federal government communicates effectively with them and 29 percent believe the government is transparent.
The survey found that young adults are skeptical about information from the government, with just 26 percent saying they trust information from the news media and 30 percent saying they trust the government itself.
Young adults also say they wouldn’t trust information about the government until it can be verified by multiple sources.
The survey also found that there are differences in the way 18-24 year-olds and 25-34 year-olds prefer to hear information about the federal government. The younger set greatly prefers social media platforms and YouTube. The older set does as well, but at a lesser rate, and watches traditional TV and reads websites at greater numbers.
And in terms of who from the government communicates information, just 15 percent say they trust government spokespeople, while 20 percent say they trust elected politicians. Scientists, peers, and even social media influencers were more trusted.
Open-Minded About Government Careers
But it’s not all doom and gloom.
While only ten percent of respondents had applied to a federal government job, 60 percent say they believe a career in the federal government is a good way to contribute to their communities.
Many cited unawareness of the federal positions available and the type of work federal employees do. Many also cited work-life balance, competitive pay, and stability as reasons to work for the federal government.
“There is evidence to indicate that younger people are willing to serve. They see it as good for them and good for their community, but they’re not sure how, and that detachment helps to breed the distrust,” said Mark Jacobson. Partnership Vice President of Research, Analysis, and Evaluation .
Recommendations
The Partnership made several recommendations.
· Communicate more authentically and acknowledge the unique challenges that young adults face.
· Modernize the federal government’s digital presence.
· Leverage trusted messengers like experts, scientists, educators, and family members.
· Tell relatable stories about the work federal employees do.
“Ideology is not the biggest issue here…if you look at it from the perspective of what can we do to engage people to have them trust the government, the solutions are likely to appeal broadly, and that’s a great thing,” said Nadzeya Shutava, a research manager at the Partnership who authored the report.
