A Gallup-Walton Family Foundation survey was released on Wednesday, revealing that many young Americans harbor mistrust towards various institutions. Approximately half of the respondents expressed very little faith in either Congress or the presidency.
Generation Z, defined as individuals under the age of 28 according to the survey, has a low level of faith in Congress (53%), the president (51%), and the Supreme Court (44%). Twenty percent of people said they trusted the Supreme Court with a high level of confidence, while even fewer said the same about Congress and the president.
Additionally, over 40% of adults in Generation Z feel the same way about major internet businesses, 43% about the press, 41% about the criminal justice system, and 37% about the police. Only 30% and 26% of this same generation feel this way about the medical system. Only 7% of people say they don’t trust science at all.
The results are in line with those of a poll conducted earlier this year by the Harvard Institute of Politics, which also indicated that trust among young adults in various organizations is declining.
Not many Americans, especially young people, have faith in our political system. A relevant topic regarding trust in institutions was asked in prior Gallup polling this year. Moreover, a comparable percentage of respondents across all age groups voiced skepticism regarding each of the three arms of government: 57% said they had extremely little faith in Congress, 46% in the president, and 35% in the Supreme Court. In contrast, young individuals in the US are more likely than the general population to express a lack of trust in government agencies, the military, and major tech firms.
According to the Gallup-Walton Family Foundation survey, the majority of Gen Z students have trust in their instructors. Among current students in middle school, high school, and college, 59% say they trust their instructors and other school staff very much.
