Do Americans Trust Congress?
Only 17.9% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Congress — the lowest of any institution surveyed.
Do Americans trust Congress?
According to 2026 Census HTOPS data, only 17.9% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Congress, making it the least trusted institution surveyed. 41.7% have very little confidence.
How does Congress compare to other institutions?
Congress ranks dead last among 9 institutions measured. The U.S. Census Bureau leads at 70.7%, followed by the Military at 65.1%. Even the Criminal Justice System (31.8%) and the Presidency (27.5%) outrank Congress.
Which age group trusts Congress the least?
Americans aged 75+ have the lowest confidence in Congress at 15.1%. The 30-44 age group is close behind at 16.2%. No age group exceeds 20% high trust.
Does income affect trust in Congress?
Interestingly, lower-income Americans (under $25K) show the highest trust in Congress at 29.8%. Trust drops sharply for higher income brackets, with $100K-$150K earners at just 13.7%.
What is the source of this data?
This data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), March 2026, conducted in March 2026. The survey represents approximately 259 million American adults.
Explore the full trust rankings for all 9 institutions
View Trust in America →Data source: U.S. Census Bureau HTOPS, March 2026.