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CBS NEWS POLL For release: Friday, October 17, 2014 7:00 am EDT Evaluating Government Agencies and American Institutions
October 15-16, 2014 The CBS News Poll asked Americans to rate the job being done by various government agencies and departments, and measured
the public’s
confidence in a number of U.S. institutions.
Of the nine government agencies tested, just one, the FBI, receives a positive rating from more than half of Americans. Assessment of the Centers for Disease Control has dropped sharply since last year.
The three branches of the federal government rank among the bottom of a list of institutions the public has confidence in. The U.S. military is at the top. The public has lost confidence in a number of institutions over the past decades
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churches, the police, public schools, banks, the Supreme Court, the presidency and Congress.
Evaluating Government Agencies
Of the agencies asked about in the poll, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is rated highest; just about half of Americans (51%) think the Bureau is doing an excellent or good job. Ratings of the CIA are divided. All the other agencies or departments are in negative territory. The IRS and the Veterans Administration, entities that have been the subject of controversies in recent years, get the lowest ratings from the American public, and two-thirds say these agencies are doing just a fair or poor job.
Ratings of Government Agencies
Excellent/Good Fair/Poor Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 51% 41 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 44% 45 Dept. of Homeland Security 43% 53 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 39% 56 Secret Service 38% 52 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 37% 60 Food and Drug Admin (FDA) 37% 59 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 31% 65 Veterans Administration 30% 66 Positive assessment
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s public
health institute, has declined dramatically. Only 37% think the CDC is doing an excellent or good job, down from 60% in a May 2013 Gallup poll.
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Ratings of Government Agencies
(% who say Excellent or Good Job) Now 5/2013 Gallup Poll Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 51% 55% Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 44% 40% Dept. of Homeland Security 43% 46% Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 39% 41% Secret Service 38% n/a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 37% 60% Food and Drug Admin (FDA) 37% 45% Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 31% 27% Veterans Administration 30% n/a The CDC is rated more positively by Democrats (49%) than Republicans (35%). Republicans are particularly critical of both the VA and the IRS
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about a quarter thinks these organizations are doing an excellent or good job.
Confidence in American Institutions
When asked about a number of U.S. institutions, Americans have the most faith in the U.S. military (73%); no other institution garners a lot of confidence from a majority of Americans. Few Americans express a lot of confidence in the three branches of the federal government. Less than one in 10 say they have a great deal or a lot of confidence in Congress
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the lowest rating on the list
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while just three in 10 have a lot of confidence in either the Presidency (29%) or the Supreme Court (30%).
How Much Confidence Do You Have in…?
Great deal/quite a lot Some Very little The military 73% 19 6 The police 48% 32 19 Church or organized religion 46% 29 20 The medical system 40% 34 24 Public Schools 37% 38 23 The Supreme Court 30% 39 27 Banks 29% 43 27 The Presidency 29% 26 43 Congress 9% 29 58 Of these institutions, the public has gained confidence over the long run only in the military, and ratings of the medical system are up slightly. The Gallup Poll has been tracking many of these measures for as long as forty years, and though a majority of Americans in the 1970s through the 1990s already had a lot of confidence in the military, confidence rose above 70% in the years following 9/11. In contrast, confidence in the police, the public schools, churches and the banks have all declined.
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Have a Great Deal/Quite a Lot of Confidence in…
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Gallup Poll *********************** Now 6/2014 5/2004 3/1994 10/1984 5/1973 The military 73% 74% 75% 64% 58% -- The police 48% 53% 64% 54% -- -- Church or organized religion 46% 45% 53% 54% 64% 66% The medical system 40% 34% 44% 36% -- -- Public schools 37% 26% 41% 34% 47% 58% Banks 29% 26% 53% 35% 51% -- Confidence in the three branches of government has dropped considerably over the years. Confidence in the Supreme Court has dropped 14 points since May of 1973. Just 29% have a lot of confidence in the Presidency, down from 38% twenty years ago. At just 9%, confidence in Congress has dropped 33 points since 1973.
Have a Great Deal/Quite a Lot of Confidence in…
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Gallup Poll **************************
Now 6/2014 5/2004 3/1994 10/1984 5/1973 The Supreme Court 30% 30% 46% 42% 51% 44% The Presidency 29% 29% 52% 38% -- -- Congress 9% 7% 30% 18% 29% 42% Confidence in the Presidency is highly partisan. However, very few Republicans (14%), Democrats (14%), or independents (6%) have a lot of confidence in Congress.
Have a Great Deal/Quite a Lot of Confidence in…
Total Reps Dems Inds The Supreme Court 30% 33% 35% 25% The Presidency 29% 10% 57% 21% Congress 9% 14% 14% 6%
Direction of the Country
Americans remain pessimistic about where the country is headed. 65% think the country is off on the wrong track; just 26% think it is headed in the right direction.
Direction of the Country
Right direction 26% Wrong track 65 ___________________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted by telephone October 15-16, 2014 among 1,008 adults nationwide. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.