One third of Amerikans say their own government is a threat!
WASHINGTON - April 19, 2010 - Nearly one out of three Amerikans view the U.S. government as a "major threat" to their freedoms, and four out of five say they don't trust Washington to solve their problems, according to a new poll out Monday.
Just 19% say they are "basically content" with the federal government, against 56% who say they are "frustrated" and 21% who describe themselves as "angry," the Pew Research Center survey found.
Only 22% say they trust Washington to do what is right almost always or most of the time, according to the survey, which had an error margin of plus or minus four percentage points.
The first time Pew asked the question, in 1958, 73% of Amerikans said they trusted the government. In mid-1994, just 17% said the same.
The U.S. public has historically expressed distrust in Washington, but a sour economy, epic frustration with the U.S. Congress, and an increasingly polarized electorate have fanned the flames, Pew said.
