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Politics

Poll: Americans Don't Trust Government

But they still want free stuff

Reason Staff | 4.18.2013 5:10 PM

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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's re-election glow is gone. Congress' reputation remains dismal. And only about one in five Americans say they trust the government to do what's right most of the time, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds.

Most adults disapprove of Obama's handling of the federal deficit, a festering national problem. But they also dislike key proposals to reduce deficit spending, including a slower growth in Social Security benefits and changes to Medicare.

Rounding out the portrait of a nation in a funk, the share of people saying the United States is heading in the wrong direction is at its highest since last August: 56 percent.

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Reason Staff
PoliticsCultureTrust in GovernmentPolls
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  1. Bean Counter   12 years ago

    So a majority of Americans don't trust the government to do what's right, but a majority of Americans want the government to redistribute wealth. UH....is is possible for people to have a negative I Q? Basically, you can get just about any result you want from a poll. I'm thinking.....ignore them both!

    1. Calidissident   12 years ago

      Was just going to post this. Cognitive dissonance at its finest

    2. Jesus H. Christ   12 years ago

      That's why I'm here as well. Yeah. Whoosh!

  2. Sevo   12 years ago

    You guys are missing the point.
    All these folks trust the government to redistribute *other* peoples' money. The don't trust the government with their own.

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