Two Stories of Distrust

May 1, 2021

Topic

Trust

download report

Drawing on multiple national surveys conducted from July 2020 through March 2021, More in Common explores the landscape of trust in America. At a time of low overall trust levels, we highlight two distinct stories of distrust: an ideological ‘us versus them’ distrust and a ‘social distrust’ that has to do more with experiences of belonging, dignity, and equality (or lack thereof).

Key Takeaways

Low level of trust in institutions is the norm.
- No national institution is perceived as honest by more than 1 in 5 Americans.
Low level of trust in other people is the norm.
- Less than 4 in 10 Americans feel “most people can be trusted.”
Ideology predicts distrust towards key institutions.
- Confidence in the federal government to do what is right for America swings significantly for partisans based on whether their party is in control.
Significant experiences of lack of belonging, especially among passive liberals.
- Over half of passive liberals (55%) report that there is no community where they feel a strong sense of belonging.

2020 Democracy Survey 1
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n=8,000 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: July 24-August 10, 2020
Margin of Error: +/- 1.3 for US avg.

2020 Democracy Survey 2
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n=2,000 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: December 2020
Margin of Error: +/- 2.0 for US avg.
2020 Post-Election Survey
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n=2,000 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: November 4-6, 2020
Margin of Error: +/- 2.6 for US avg.

2020 American Fabric Survey
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n= 4,456 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: July 11-20, 2020
Margin of Error: +/- 1.7 for US avg.
2021 Democracy Survey 3
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n=1,000 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: March 2-4, 2021
Margin of Error: +/- 2.1 for US avg.

38%

of Americans with a high school diploma say they feel treated with dignity at work, as compared to 68% of those with a 4-year degree.

34%

of Americans say outside of family and friends, “there is no community to which I feel a strong sense of belonging.”

4 in 10

Americans feel that “most people can be trusted.”

Overview

The magnitude of distrust Americans hold towards various institutions and each other is significant and poses a serious challenge to our democracy. Without trust in each other, cooperation necessary for progress becomes impossible, and without sufficient trust in our institutions, policy change cannot be implemented in a way that benefits all sectors of our society. Among the most notable findings in this report are the distinctions between the two stories of ideological distrust and social distrust. These findings underscore the importance of thinking about trust as a function of systems and settings that vary significantly across individuals and groups. It can be difficult to appreciate these nuances when the overall picture is so bleak, but there are significant implications for how to build trust dependent upon the underlying drivers.

Related Research

All Publications

Culture Wars, Democracy & Elections, Immigration & Refugees, Narrative & Communications, American Identity

01 October 2018

Hidden Tribes

Social Connection

29 November 2023

Social Connection Across Difference in the US

Download Full Report

Explore the depth of our research at your fingertips. Get the complete insights by downloading the full report today.

download

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

What unites and divides Americans today? This newsletter takes a closer look at issues pressing on America’s social and political fabric and provides recommendations for how to strengthen ties to keep us bound together.