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A lack of awareness of what the government does affects public views on the government and therefore their support for it, the Partnership for Public Service has said in a posting delving into more detail on its recent polling on the public’s views of government.
That poll for example showed that 56 percent have not much or no trust that the government will do what is right vs. 40 percent who had a lot or some trust—similar to percentages who say the government has a negative vs. positive impact on the country as a whole and on individuals such as themselves—said a report released in march.
The recent posting added that “Those who said the government does not impact their life may not understand the way the government assists people around the country.” It said that most of those who said the government does not play much of a role in their lives also said they have currently are receiving, or have received, benefits such as Medicare, veterans benefits or housing assistance.
“Sixty percent of those who said the government plays no significant role in their lives said the impact of the federal government on the country is negative, compared with 32% who had a positive answer. Only 51% of those who said government had a somewhat or very significant role in their lives had similarly negative views of the federal government’s impact, and 46% said it had been positive,” it said.
It said that while some “may be unwilling to admit” that they benefit from government, “the data suggests that the lack of awareness of the source of their benefits has a real and significant effect on public support of government . . .efforts to increase public awareness of the federal government’s role in our society are sorely needed if we are to build trust in our nation’s most important democratic institution,” it said.
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