Posted on 04/19/2010 4:18:15 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA
WASHINGTON (AP) — America's "Great Compromiser" Henry Clay called government "the great trust," but most Americans today have little faith in Washington's ability to deal with the nation's problems.
Public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a half century, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say they don't trust the federal government and have little faith it can solve America's ills, the survey found.
The survey illustrates the ominous situation President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party face as they struggle to maintain their comfortable congressional majorities in this fall's elections. Midterm prospects are typically tough for the party in power. Add a toxic environment like this and lots of incumbent Democrats could be out of work.
The survey found that just 22 percent of those questioned say they can trust Washington almost always or most of the time and just 19 percent say they are basically content with it. Nearly half say the government negatively effects their daily lives, a sentiment that's grown over the past dozen years.
This anti-government feeling has driven the tea party movement, reflected in fierce protests this past week.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...
More government is always the wrong answer to any problem.
Our representatives are slow to learn this lesson and appear to do the opposite 99.99% of the time.
Good point. A 40 year low would have referred back to Viet Nam which I would have understood. But going back to 1960 is hard to fathom. The Bay of Pigs was 1961; Tonkin Gulf didn’t occur until 1964; Cuban Missile crisis was in 1962; the ramping up of welfare and destruction of a large swath of American Society didn’t begin until 1964. Maybe he’s referring to the totality of these events. But I still think they would pale against Viet Nam.
“Poll: Americans’ confidence in the federal government at a 50-year low, 80 percent are wary”
Does this poll mean that 80% of Americans are racist for being wary of the federal government??
Just damn.
So, 20% do not distrust government.
Those must be federal employees.
BUSH’S FALT!!!!111!!!11!!!!
Then I went and read the article.
But the poll also identified a combination of factors that contributed to the electorate's hostility: the recession that Obama inherited from President George W. Bush; a dispirited public; and anger with Congress and politicians of all political leanings.
So it's Bush's Fault® after all! I'm so relieved.
Marital oral sex? Dust mites? Photosynthesis? Gravity?
LOL....and 10 percent of that number wants the shooting to commence. I have my list....do you have yours?
Name one thing that isn't regulated by the government.Marital oral sex? Dust mites? Photosynthesis? Gravity?
Just you wait.
We'll win in the end, you elitist morons. Keep it up.
Govarment skhools.
Yep, that's very probable. Without that factor, this would probably be a "150-year low."
80 pct are mis-trusting (gee! wonder why?)
the other 20 pct have no radio/tv and can’t read...or are Liberals.
That might happen with a normal politician who is more interested in getting elected than any particular ideology. With these "true believers" in control, the calculus is a bit different. They believe they are in the right and the people just need to be educated to "see the light".
So, I guess it’s the right wing’s fault.....
That response reminds me - back when I was a kid in the 9th grade, we had a new (to the school system) English teacher. He was a little off, but well meaning, I guess.
Anyway, one day his exasperation with the class became evident, and he spelled out on the blackboard, “G-O-V-E-R-N-M-E-N-T” (without the dashes - I put that in there for dramatic effect, but he did use all caps), and commenced to teach us anew:
“Repeat after me, class! GOV-ERN-MENT! GOVVV-ERNNNN-MENT!”
In unison, the class replied, “guvament”!
CA....
“50 year low? You mean the last time the people were so distrustful of government, Kennedy was president?”
+++++++++++++++++
From the article:
“Public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a half century, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center.”
The headline says confidence in the federal government is at a 50 year low.
The article says that confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in half a century.
I don't think it's clear that a lower figure was recorded in a poll in 1960.
It seems to me that such polls may have been done for 50 years and that no president has ever scored as low as Obama.
And, lastly, as others have pointed out to me, 50 years ago, Eisenhower was president -- does anyone seriously think that some huge percentage of Americans thought that Dwight Eisenhower was some sort of treasonous, commie-loving, American-hating SOB?????
Obama stands alone in this category.
I would say 250 year low. This is 30 points higher than when we had King George!!
RE: 80% are wary of Washington
REALLY ? If this is so, why do we continue to elect the very people who will all but guarantee the increasing size of the Federal Government ?
Something does not compute between this poll and what I am seeing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.