Opinion Polls Regarding Confidence in Government

• Americans Distrust Government, but Want It to Do More," - NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll, 2000
• Governments 50 greatest endeavors - Brookings Institution report and survey about government successes
• Images of Government in TV Entertainment  (mainly negative) and Is the bumbling bureaucrat passe in prime time?: Changing Images of Government on TV 1998-2001 - The West Wing ripple effect improves government image.
• Direction of the Country - Summary of various polls about whether we're on the right track.
• Americans Unplugged: Citizens and Their Government (feelings of disconnection, especially among the young) - Press Release, and Report, Council for Excellence in Government, 1999.  
• Findings from a Research Project about Attitudes Toward Government - Hart/Teeter survey conducted for the Council for Excellence in Government indicates that Americans more readily recall problems with government than successes. However, when asked about specific government programs, they rate many programs as successful.
• Findings from a National Survey Among 15-25 Year Olds, The Center for Democracy and Citizenship at The Council for Excellence in Government, January 15, 2004 – Issues youth care about, political leanings, level of engagement.