Abstract
Evidence from the Weidenbaum Center Surveys (Waves 6–8) suggests that trust in institutions has not simply evaporated. Instead, it is being sorted along several cleavages, such as partisanship, geography, and personal economic security. While trust in the federal government remains relatively low yet stable from May 2025 to March 2026, trust in specific institutions varies across partisan, geographic, and economic cleavages. This fragmentation of trust points to a potential challenge to the stability of American democracy.
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
5-7-2026
Language
English (en)
Report Number
Report No. 3
DOI link
https://doi.org/10.7936/2gkj-qb56
Author's ORCID
Hwayong Shin, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1639-5444
Recommended Citation
Shin, Hwayong, "Party, Place, and Pocketbooks: What Shapes Americans’ Trust in Political Institutions" (2026). Weidenbaum Center Survey (WCS) Reports. 3.
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