Only 22 percent of survey respondents said they can trust the government in Washington and 30 percent said the federal government is a major threat to their freedom. Rather than an activist government to deal with the nation’s top problems, the public now wants government reformed and growing numbers want its power curtailed.

via The Pew Research Center

Americans’ confidence in government continues to decline and is likely to be an important factor in the 2010 elections, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Only 22 percent of survey respondents said they can trust the government in Washington and 30 percent said the federal government is a major threat to their freedom.

“By almost every conceivable measure Americans are less positive and more critical of government these days,” the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press said in a report released yesterday. The survey results depict “a perfect storm of conditions associated with distrust of government — a dismal economy, an unhappy public, bitter partisan-based backlash, and epic discontent with Congress and elected officials.”

The Obama administration has created the lowest trust in government of all presidents back to through Kennedy’s.

The people are dissatisfied with both political parties. Although the Republicans stand to gain the most in the 2010 elections.

“The public’s hostility toward government seems likely to be an important election issue favoring the Republicans this fall. However, the Democrats can take some solace in the fact that neither party can be confident that they have the advantage among such a disillusioned electorate. Favorable ratings for both major parties, as well as for Congress, have reached record lows while opposition to congressional incumbents, already approaching an all-time high, continues to climb.”

More Americans are feeling the government is making their lives worse instead of better.

“Perhaps related to this trend, the survey also finds a rise in the percentage saying the federal government has a negative effect on their day-to-day lives. In October 1997, 50% said the federal government had a positive effect on their daily lives, compared with 31% who said its impact was negative. Currently, 38% see the federal government’s personal impact as positive while slightly more (43%) see it as negative.

Rising criticism about government’s personal impact is not limited to the federal government. Just 42% say their state government has a positive effect on their daily lives, down from 62% in October 1997. There is a similar pattern in opinions about the impact of local government – 51% now see the impact of their local government as positive, down from 64% in 1997.”

Also, more Americans are feeling angry about the government and not just frustrated as before. This is what motivates people to do more than vote or not vote but to march, write letters, make calls, and work in campaigns.

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