Americans in growing numbers continue to view their government as too powerful, with a new poll revealing that this fear has reached a record level.

Gallup says 60% of people in the United States now believe Washington has too much power, according to a survey taken September 5-8.

This total is one percentage point above the previous high recorded in September 2010. When Gallup first asked the question in September 2002, only 39% of respondents thought the federal government had too much power.

Joy Wilkie at Gallup says at least half of the U.S. population has said the government is too powerful for eight years in a row, going back to 2005.

Only 32% now say the government has the right amount of power, and just 7% believe it doesn’t have enough authority.

Far more Republicans (81%) than Democrats (38%) say the government has too much power, which is not surprising given the parties’ differing outlooks on government. The figure for independents is 65%.

But, Wilkie adds, “Republicans, Democrats, and independents have each grown more likely to say government is too powerful this year…. In 2002, the two parties were about equally likely to view the federal government as too powerful, at 36% and 35%, respectively, with independents, at 45%, most likely to say this.”

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Americans' Belief That Gov't Is Too Powerful at Record Level (by Joy Wilkie, Gallup)

Only 1 in 5 Americans Trust the Government to Do What Is Right (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Only 28% of Americans Hold Favorable View of the Federal Government (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)