Poll: Young Americans Distrust Government

The military is the only exception

Young adults aged 18 to 29, also known as the millennial generation, have an increased distrust in every political institution except the military, according to a biannual Institute of Politics report released Tuesday. Written and analyzed by students, the report also showed an increased polarization among party lines since the election and split opinions about gun regulation.

C. M. Trey Grayson '94, director of the Institute of Politics, said he was particularly alarmed by the long-term implications of the poll's results, explaining that the support of the millennials is key to the future stability of modern American institutions like the media, local and federal governments, and Wall Street.

"You hope the process can work, the system can work, politics can work," Grayson said. "We've got to give millennials a reason to trust these institutions."