Gallup: Americans Trust SCOTUS Most, Congress Least

A new Gallup poll today found that Americans trust the judicial branch the most and the legislative branch the least.

Trust in all three branches of government rose slightly this year, but Congress has lost the most cred over the past decade.

Sixty-seven percent of those polled said they have a “great deal/fair amount” of trust and confidence in the judicial branch, 56 percent have this trust in the executive branch and just 34 percent feel that way about the legislative branch.

The lowest point of executive-branch trust since Gallup began asking the question was during the heart of the Watergate scandal in 1974, when confidence plunged to 40 percent.

Confidence in Congress was as high as 67 percent in 2002, but hit an all-time low of 31 percent last year.

When divided by party, 17 percent of Republicans have trust in the executive branch while 90 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of independents express this view. Number are about even when it comes to the judicial branch, but independents trust Congress the least — just 26 percent.