Public confidence in federal information is weakening across issues that depend heavily on credible official communication, from election administration to public health and the economy. The trend matters not only because it reflects political dissatisfaction, but because it may make it harder for institutions to inform citizens and sustain cooperation when reliable information is most needed.
A Cross Issue Decline in Trust
The findings come from the 2026 AP NORC/USA Facts poll, conducted by The Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USA Facts. The survey interviewed 1,036 U.S. adults between July 29 and August 10 through NORC’s probability based AmeriSpeak Panel. Its overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
The poll indicates that skepticism is not confined to a single policy area. Around six in ten adults reported little or no trust in federal government information concerning the environment, foreign affairs, elections and politics, abortion, or immigration. Trust has also declined since 2024 in several issue areas. The proportion expressing a great deal or quite a bit of trust in federal information fell from 26% to 18% on inflation and the cost of living, from 26% to 16% on health care, and from 22% to 13% on elections and politics.
These figures suggest a broader challenge than routine disagreement over policy. Citizens can reasonably differ on policy priorities while still accepting official statistics, administrative procedures, or emergency guidance as credible. When trust in the information itself declines, disagreement may increasingly concern the factual basis on which public debate takes place.
Elections Become a Central Concern
The election related results carry particular significance ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Only 34% of adults said they trusted government certifications of election outcomes a great deal or quite a bit, compared with 40% in 2024. Just under half also said they were extremely or very concerned that the federal government might publicly question results, interfere with them, or pressure state officials over certification and reporting.
The implications extend beyond whether voters support a particular candidate or party. Election systems rely on public acceptance of procedures before results are known. If citizens begin from the assumption that official certification is unreliable, even transparent processes may struggle to produce broad confidence after close or contested races.
The survey also points to a challenge that crosses partisan lines, although levels of trust differ among political groups. For example, 44% of Democrats expressed substantial trust in government election certification, down from 65% in 2024. This decline demonstrates that reduced confidence cannot be understood solely as a response from one partisan constituency.
Information Overload and Institutional Capacity
The decline in trust appears alongside wider uncertainty about identifying accurate information. Thirty seven percent of adults said it is difficult to determine whether information they encounter is true, while 30% reported difficulty finding factual information about candidates and their positions. A further 43% said it is hard to assess whether candidates’ statements are accurate.
This environment creates a difficult communication problem for public institutions. Government agencies must provide accessible and timely information, yet their messages now compete with partisan commentary, social media content, artificial intelligence generated material, and fragmented news sources. The issue is not simply whether agencies publish data, but whether the public views their methods, explanations, and corrections as credible.
Trust also affects practical policy implementation. Public health guidance, economic data, environmental warnings, and election instructions are more likely to be effective when people believe the institutions issuing them are competent and transparent. Lower trust may therefore increase the costs of governing, as officials must spend more effort explaining basic information before they can build support for policy responses.
A Challenge Beyond One Poll
Polls measure attitudes at a particular moment and should not be treated as a prediction of how every voter will act. Still, the AP NORC/USA Facts findings identify a sustained decline across multiple topics, including education, where low trust rose from 37% in 2019 to 53% in 2026.
The central issue is whether public institutions can rebuild confidence through consistent transparency, clear communication, and demonstrably fair procedures. As the midterm campaign develops, the credibility of official information may become as consequential as the policy debates it is intended to inform.
