According to a recently released poll conducted by Gallup, only a third of adults in the United States and the United Kingdom expressed confidence in their governments as of 2022, marking the lowest percentage of any G7 nation.
In the US, public confidence in the national government plummeted from 46% in 2020 to 31% in 2022.
“But after President Joe Biden took office, confidence in government slipped to 40% in 2021 and again to 31% in 2022. This is on par with the lowest rates of confidence measured in the U.S. government since Gallup started tracking it globally in 2006.” This decline aligns with a decrease in the global approval of US leadership.
The UK followed a similar trend, with confidence in the national government dropping to a near-record low. The turbulent political landscape marked by events such as Brexit, the Partygate scandal, and frequent changes in prime ministerial leadership likely contributed to the decline. “In 2022, confidence in the government collapsed, especially among Britons who approved of their country’s leadership (38%). This is the lowest level of confidence in the world among people who approve of their leadership — tied with Lebanon.”
The future of these governments now hangs in the balance, with pivotal elections approaching in 2024. The election results will likely play a key role in either reestablishing or further diminishing the public’s faith in their respective governments. Ultimately, the “special relationship” between the US and UK has found common ground in an undesired area – the lowest confidence levels among their citizens in the G7.
