Sixty-two percent of respondents say their confidence in Washington has decreased over the past 12 months. Poll finds low trust in feds

A majority of voters say their confidence in the federal government’s ability is falling, according to a new Public Strategies Inc./Politico poll.

Sixty-two percent of respondents say their confidence in Washington has decreased over the past 12 months, while only 8 percent said their confidence has increased. Less than a third of those polled said their confidence in the federal government remained the same.


The poll, conducted Dec. 17-21, surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationwide.

That lack of confidence is demonstrated by the percentage of voters who think the country is on the right path: 65 percent said the country is on the wrong track, while 35 percent believe the country is heading in the right direction.

That pessimism extends to perceptions of the future, as half of all respondents described the likelihood that the next generation of Americans will enjoy a better life than we do today as either “not very much” or “none at all.”

The major source of dissatisfaction is the state of the economy and the government’s response to the financial crisis.

Only 5 percent said they have a “great deal” of trust that the federal government will manage its finances responsibly, while 23 percent expressed “some” trust that the government will be financially responsible. Meanwhile, an overwhelming 63 percent of respondents described their amount of trust as “not very much” or “none at all.”

See Also Public Trust Monitor survey results

Despite the glaring lack of confidence, voters want action to aid the economy.

When asked which issue should be the biggest priority, 45 percent listed an economic stimulus package with a focus on employing out-of-work Americans. None of the other options — which included health care reform, a national energy policy, financial services industry reform and withdrawal from Iraq — were rated as the top priority by more than 16 percent of voters.

Voters also indicated a desire for prompt action and expressed little concern that the incoming Obama administration may go “too far” in executing some of its many desired goals to revitalize the economy.

Just 13 percent worried that the government will go too far in cutting taxes on the middle class, and only 24 percent worried it will go too far in increasing taxes on corporations.

A majority of voters, meanwhile, expressed fear that the government will not go far enough to increase taxes on corporations or on households making more than $200,000.

Forty-two percent feared the government will not go far enough to increase taxes on corporations, and 37 percent said the government will not go far enough to increase taxes on those earning more than $200,000. Twenty-eight percent feared it would go too far in taxing those households.