(GALLUP) Gen Z lacking trust in major US institutions


The following is from Gallup News.

Members of Generation Z in the U.S. — those between the ages of 12 and 26 — generally lack trust in political and societal institutions, according to a new study from Gallup and Walton Family Foundation.

Among the institutions rated in the survey, youth express the lowest levels of trust in Congress, the news, the presidency and large technology companies, with one in six or fewer reporting they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in each.

Similarly, fewer than one in four Gen Z members trust the information they find on the internet, the U.S. Supreme Court and the criminal justice system. Science garners the most trust, at 71%.

These results are based on the Gallup and Walton Family Foundation-State of American Youth Survey, conducted April 24-May 8, 2023, with a sample of 3,114 U.S. children and adults aged 12 to 26.

Younger Gen Z Members More Positive About Institutions

Within Gen Z, K-12 students aged 12 to 18 are generally more trusting of institutions compared with older members of the generation, those aged 18 to 26 who are not enrolled in K-12 schools.

The younger cohort of Gen Z expresses greater confidence in nine institutions, with the widest gaps seen in the military and the police.

While 51% of younger Gen Z members have a great deal or quite a lot of trust in the military, 30% of those aged 18 to 26 say the same.

Similarly, 48% of younger Gen Z members trust the police, compared with 28% of those aged 18 to 26.

Read full polling results here.

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6 thoughts on “(GALLUP) Gen Z lacking trust in major US institutions”

  1. Trust the science, ONLY if the scientists are unbiased and one should NEVER believe the “Science is Settled”!
    Good to know that the youth are wary of internet information and while it is nice to ask the opinion of 12-17 year olds, to believe it is vital to the nation is naive. Even those age 18-26 will have varying opinions over time. Science informs us the human brain is not fully developed until the age of 26!
    Considering the “gender” issue currently being bantered about and I say 26 might be the correct age to make such a decision.

  2. I also appreciate the reporting Sharl and her staff of investigators bring to us! Regarding this article, I’m an 86-year-old gentleman who has lived thru all the wars starting with WWII, Nine-11, the Kennedy Assassinations and everything in between!

    Like this age- groups opinions, I too am so discussed and disappointer in our Political Parties and the Government as a whole! Washington DC is a total disaster which has no signs of getting better! I am really concerned for my grand and great children in what this country is going to become! It is a complete disaster what these Politicians of both parties are doing to our country, particularly the current Biden administration! God Help Us

    1. Stan Powell,

      The “total disaster,” about which
      you are concerned, includes the
      IMMORALITY among U.S. busi-
      nessmen :

      Excerpted from my report,
      “Why Wall Street Hates . . . “
      ( ©1999 ) :

      “Why would a businessman want controls on culture-destroying immigration from the Third World?
      Every warm body sneaking across the border,
      and every legal immigrant, is a potential
      customer in retail stores. That’s why NAFTA
      was passed in the face of a coming, massive
      increase in crime and drugs—to infect
      Americans from and through Mexico, not to
      mention illegals (and drugs) smuggled on
      NAFTA trucks; and that’s why the tourist,
      airline, and communications industries don’t
      care who is legal and who is not. Citizenship
      and nationhood impede profits! The more
      influx of immigrants and “visitors” from outside
      the U.S. – the latter containing a large
      percentage of I’m-going-to-stay visa holders –
      the more air flights, hotel bookings et al., and
      long-distance telephone calls to overseas
      friends and relatives.

      “Why would church and synagogue businessmen want controls on immigration? Catholic Charities and Jewish Family Services
      rake in millions each year by helping the State
      Department resettle diverse races in white
      communities across America, not to mention
      their recruiting members in the exchange. And
      religious organizations can gain by family
      breakups and cultural disruptions. During the
      every-one-can-get-rich Roaring Twenties
      churches and synagogues suffered poor
      attendance, but during the Great Depression
      membership shot up ( during the Dark Ages,
      religionists ruled ).

      “Why would a businessman want controls on welfare?
      Every cent that you turn over for redistribution to
      welfare recipients is money you can’t save, but
      change jingling in capitalists’ pockets. Business
      owners don’t pay taxes but pass them on to
      customers. They’ll complain about high taxes stifling
      business, but they’d rather have confiscatory taxation
      for welfare recipients – to keep money out of savings
      and in circulation – than high saving rates among
      consumers.”

      -Rick

  3. Thank you Sharyl. Very informative. Good to see that confidence in some important institutions is increasing amounts in younger members of Gen. Z. It also raises questions about why this is happening. One possibility is they are figuring out for themselves there are reasons to be more optimistic. But the other possibility is simply it requires more time for them to be “taught” to be as pessimistic as their older counterparts.

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