A recent survey conducted by the non-profit organization “Partnership for Public Service” in Washington, D.C. revealed a significant increase in American trust in the federal government and the civil service system in 2025, with a simultaneous decrease in distrust – a trend rarely seen in recent years.
The nationwide survey, conducted from March 31 to April 6 and covering 800 adults, showed that 33% of American adults in 2025 expressed trust in the federal government, up from 23% in 2024 and approaching the level of 35% in 2022.
The distrust rate dropped to 47%, significantly down by 16 percentage points from 2024. Another 13% remained neutral, and 6% did not respond.
In terms of government perception, 45% of respondents believed that the federal government had a negative impact on the country, while 42% viewed it positively. The proportion describing the government as “wasteful” decreased to 61%, a substantial drop from 85% in 2024. However, 67% of respondents still considered the government “corrupt”.
In 2025, trust in the government among Republican respondents significantly rose to 42%, more than four times that of 2024 (10%). Among Republicans under 50, trust reached 46%, compared to just 9% in 2024.
In contrast, trust among Democratic respondents decreased to 31%, lower than the 39% in 2024. The age group above 50 experienced the sharpest decline, dropping from 49% to 27%.
The fluctuation in trust aligns with historical patterns – when a particular political party controls the White House, supporters of that party typically have higher trust in the government.
Overall, trust among the younger demographic (18-34 years old) increased from 15% to 36%, becoming the highest trust in the government across all age groups, followed by the 35-49 age group at 33%.
The survey indicated that 49% of respondents in 2025 expressed trust in the federal civil service, higher than the 46% in 2024, while distrust decreased to 23%, significantly down from 32% the previous year.
Support for the “nonpartisan civil service” in 2025 notably declined, with only 66% of respondents agreeing that this system is crucial for maintaining a strong American democracy, lower than 87% in 2024.
The decrease primarily stemmed from shifts in attitudes among Republicans and independents: Republican support decreased from 87% to 66%, and independents dropped from 79% to 34%. Notably, rather than a majority transitioning to opposition, there was an increase in those choosing “don’t know / not sure”, with 19% of Republicans and a higher 46% of independents responding this way.
Republican respondents’ attitudes towards the president’s control over appointing and dismissing civil servants also changed. The proportion supporting the president appointing like-minded individuals rose from 33% to 64%, and support for the president being able to dismiss civil servants at will increased from 37% to 60%.
The report suggested that the decrease in perceiving the federal government as “wasteful” was evident across different groups like Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
The shift may be related to the establishment of the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) under the Trump administration, once led by Musk. The department aimed to reduce government personnel, eliminate certain projects, and reduce perceived waste, fraud, and abuse. However, some critics argued that the department lacked strategy in staff reductions and actually weakened federal service capabilities.
The report’s analysis highlighted that apart from the effective DOGE reforms, some respondents may feel that current government policies better align with their priorities or that increased public understanding of government operations leads to reduced perceptions of waste compared to the past.