In Norway and Finland trust exceeded 60 percent while it fell between 50 and 60 percent in Luxembourg, Ireland and Iceland. Image: kuzmaphoto/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffCitizens of 13 other major democracies have a higher level of trust in their federal government than U.S. citizens, says the Partnership for Public Service using data from its own research and from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
It noted that in that data, 35 percent in the U.S. said they trusted government, fewer than the 46 percent who don’t trust it, with the rest neutral. In contrast, in Norway and Finland trust exceeded 60 percent while it fell between 50 and 60 percent in Luxembourg, Ireland and Iceland.
Just above the U.S was Australia at 38/43.8 percent favorable/unfavorable and just below was the United Kingdom at 34.8/49.2. Japan had the lowest rating of the 20 countries listed, at 24/39.8.
“While the challenges facing each country on this list differ, the fact that many of them have higher levels of trust than the U.S. suggests that increasing public trust in our own government is possible, that skepticism of government is neither inevitable nor permanent, and that our government may be able to learn lessons from other nations to better connect with the public,” a posting said.
“Improving how people perceive the federal government will not be easy—it will take a combination of excellent delivery of services to the public, improved communication and effective reforms that make the government more responsive to public needs,” it said.
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