Confidence in the judiciary and the government takes a historic plunge

The confidence citizens have in both the judicial system and the executive branch has sharply declined, reaching its lowest point in the past 15 years. This steady decline began in 2020, the year Joe Biden won the presidential election.

According to a Gallup survey, confidence in the justice system is steadily declining, with only 35% of Americans expressing trust— a seven-point drop from the 2023 survey.

This troubling trend is further highlighted by the fact that the United States ranks among the top ten countries where the decline in confidence has been most pronounced since 2006, the year this data was first recorded. Only Burma, Venezuela, Croatia, South Africa, Syria, Hong Kong, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uzbekistan have experienced a sharper decline.

Meanwhile, trust in the government has also hit a record low, with only 26% of Americans expressing confidence in the president and his cabinet's leadership and integrity. This marks a decline from 30% in 2023.

However, it's not all bad news. Both the military and financial institutions have seen a rise in trust among Americans. The military gained two percentage points since 2023, increasing from 81% to 83%, while financial institutions experienced a more significant jump, rising from 53% to 61%.

Confidence in the honesty of elections has also increased, rising from 44% in 2023 to 51% in 2024.