Let's Talk

This report was revised on March 17, 2025.

To meet public needs more effectively, our government needs to be viewed as a trustworthy institution by those it serves. Without trust in the government, Americans may be less likely to use federal services or share feedback on proposed regulations and programs—feedback that is essential for improving government effectiveness.

Yet today, trust in government is in decline, and a majority of Americans disagree that the federal government has a positive impact on the country.

This view is especially pronounced among young adults. A national survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service in the spring of 2024 found that just 15% of 18–34-year-olds in the U.S. trust the federal government, the lowest of any age group. Their lack of trust makes it difficult for the government to address young adults’ specific needs.

This distrust may also be a barrier to attracting young talent. Today, only 7.5% of the federal workforce is under age 30, and around two-thirds of respondents ages 18–34 we surveyed earlier this year have never considered applying for a federal job. With 42% of the federal workforce currently over age 50, agencies face a potential talent shortfall as older civil servants retire. Demonstrated trustworthiness can help attract new talent. Without building trust, connecting with and recruiting young talent could be more difficult, leaving agencies at risk of being dangerously understaffed and unable to meet future challenges effectively.

To reduce this trust gap, it is crucial to understand what drives trust—or distrust—in our government among young adults in the U.S. Accordingly, the Partnership set out to explore the key factors that influence how young adults perceive the government—both in positive and negative ways.

In July 2024, we conducted four focus groups in the U.S. to uncover the factors that either strengthen or erode young adults’ trust in government. Each group consisted of nine to 11 people ages 18–341. Three of the focus groups were based on political affiliation—Republicans, Democrats and independents—the strongest predictor of trust levels, according to our broader research on this issue. The fourth group, comprised of participants from lower-income households, was chosen because a lack of trust in government may make them less likely to seek out and use government services. By including this group, we sought to understand if socioeconomic factors shape perceptions of government and trust.

In August 2024, we conducted an online survey of 1,000 young adults in the same age range to build on the focus groups’ findings.

Our research across the July focus groups and the August survey reveals that young adults hold complex views of the federal government. On the one hand, they mistrust the government and believe it is corrupt and favors the wealthy. On the other hand, they recognize that it provides the public with essential services and important programs.

According to our August 2024 survey, only 32% of 18–34-year-olds believe the government acts in the best interest of people their age. Similarly, only 30% of 18–34-year-olds think the government effectively addresses their specific concerns.

Partisan affiliation is a major factor that affects trust in government across all age groups in the U.S., according to our previous research. Historically, trust levels are higher among respondents whose party holds the presidency at the time of a survey.

However, our August 2024 survey did not find large differences relative to political affiliation, with 37% of young Democrats, 30% of young Republicans and 23% of young independents reporting they trust the government.

“I think ... what we want as citizens doesn’t really fall in line with what the [government is] doing, and we try to voice our opinions through social media ... hoping that it’ll reach [the government]. I try to have faith in [the government], but everything that I see or hear is just … upsetting.” - Jacob, Democrat

“I would like to feel better about [the government], but … I just feel like there's been a lot of promises made that haven't been fulfilled. The purpose of the federal government is to have the people's interest at heart, and I feel like that hasn't been quite represented, so it's causing me to have more of a negative view of it.” - Reghan, Independent

To understand what drives this overall distrust, we asked focus group participants to share one or two words that immediately come to mind when they think of the federal government. The most common word was “corrupt.”

What one or two words immediately come to mind when you think of the federal government?

Source: Partnership for Public Service focus groups with adults in the U.S. aged 18–34, conducted July 9–11, 2024.

Our August 2024 survey confirms that this concern is widespread among young adults. Fully 41% of respondents chose corruption as one of the top three factors that contribute most to their mistrust of the federal government. Another 28% chose influence of money and special interests in politics and a lack of accountability for government actions as two other top-three concerns.

“[The government] does take into account what they think the American people need or want, but I also think they take in a lot of other things and special interests of different corporations [and] lobbyists. I think there are a lot of influences.” - Heidi, lower-income households

Our focus group participants also shared some favorable views of the federal government, albeit mostly when prompted to think about the positives.

Respondents mentioned “consistency,” “doing things in the background,” “playing a role in my survival,” and “protecting and helping the environment” as work by the federal government they appreciated.

Highlighting aspects such as these presents an opportunity for federal agencies, advocacy groups, the media and others to improve public perceptions of the government and rebuild trust among young adults.

“I can see why a lot of people would say corrupt because we get a lot of our news from the media.… But I also feel that there are some positives that do come [from the government]. There are a lot of programs … [the] federal government also works on … programs for people, like drug treatment and mental health and all that stuff. So there's some good and bad.” - Cody, Republican

“[Government] is one of those things that just runs in the background—you shouldn't even think about it until it becomes an issue. In that sense, I get my mail on time without a problem. My power works fine. I'm able to use my internet and access sites without things being blocked off, and [there are] net neutrality laws. So those are really solid things and if I didn't focus on them, I really wouldn't think about them, which is the way I want it to be.” - Nick, Democrat

“It’s a strong six [out of 10 for trust in the federal government] right now just because I’ve seen some things go into the economy, into action, that were positive. Yet there’s still a lot of things that are done on the back end where we don’t have ... transparency.” - Wael, Republican

Our research shows that most young adults are not satisfied with the communications they receive from the federal government. Alarmingly, only 28% of people ages 18–34 believe the government communicates effectively with them, according to our August 2024 survey. In addition, just 33% find federal communication clear, and 29% agree the government is transparent.

Insights shared across our focus groups reinforced these troubling results. Our participants expressed a desire for clear, straightforward and honest communication, free from sugarcoating. They want the government to be transparent in its policies and to openly express the challenges it faces.

“...a common theme we've talked about is transparency and honesty, and I want to hear the truth and not just what [the government] thinks I want to hear.” - Nicole, Independent

“I would say to be transparent in your communication, to be humble in your communication and to … be open and honest with what's realistic. That goes a long way with me.” - Heidi, lower-income households

Many respondents to our August 2024 survey echoed these sentiments. When asked whether they want the government to focus on successes, challenges, or both successes and challenges in a balanced way, 69% chose the latter option.

Furthermore, when asked to select the most effective hypothetical message from the government, 43% selected one that recognizes both significant progress and ongoing difficulties.

On the other hand, just 23% of respondents selected the message that focuses solely on the positive aspects or impact of a government effort—the least amount of support for any option.

Most young Americans do not rely on a single source to stay informed about the federal government. Instead, according to our focus groups and our August 2024 survey, young adults’ news consumption combines sources like social media, traditional media, and conversations with family members and peers.

Young adults in our focus groups repeatedly said they would not trust information about the government until they verify it from multiple sources. While this shows that young adults value credibility, it also suggests they might not fully view the government as a trustworthy and reliable source of information. Agencies and public servants need to demonstrate their credibility in ways that resonate with young adults to bridge this trust gap.

“I would say any news I actually consume [about the federal government] is based on my algorithm on my ‘For You’ page. It’s not something I’m actively following, but I’ll just be scrolling, as you do, and something will pop up.” – Margot, Independent

“Going along with everyone, I feel like there’s so much news happening all over the world all the time that you often are notified of it because of social media, and then you can go and verify it and find more resources…. You find someone who is fairly unbiased [on social media] or you cross them to acknowledge their biases and then you can go from there.” – Heidi, lower-income households

According to our August 2024 survey, just 26% of young adults trust the news media to provide accurate information about government affairs, while 30% trust the government overall.

This finding highlights that the news media also struggles with trust among young people. As noted earlier, many young adults prefer to hear more balanced messages about the government. News media adopting this approach might help young adults make more informed decisions about the government’s trustworthiness. The finding also suggests that federal agencies and others seeking to build trust in government should look for additional communication avenues beyond news media.

“I think American news outlets portray the government [as if] things are going horrendously, things are embarrassing.… And I think a lot of those headlines are meant to grab people’s attention and keep them subscribing to those news outlets.… I would have a much better [opinion] of the federal government, and America in general, if the news media outlets changed their approach. I would be more interested in politics, [and] I’d be more interested in activism … if the news media made less of a scandalous picture of everything.” – Dominic, Independent

Preferred communication channels for information from the federal government

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, social media stands out as the top preferred communication channel for information and updates from the federal government, followed by TV and online news websites, according to our August 2024 survey.

While 18–24-year-olds and 25–34-year-olds have roughly the same level of interest in traditional media like TV and news websites, a notable difference emerges when it comes to their views of social media. Among 18–24-year-olds, 54% cite social media platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat as their first choice for news from the federal government, compared with 41% of 25–34-year-olds. The same pattern emerged when it came to YouTube: More 18–24-year-olds chose it than 25–34-year-olds.

Interestingly, only around a fifth of 18–34-year-olds prefer government websites for receiving government information.

Our focus group participants also rely on social media platforms for news consumption, preferring Instagram, X and TikTok. The participants said they wished the government would communicate with them in the spaces they are already a part of, like social media. While many agencies are on social media platforms, simply being there is not enough to be seen as trustworthy by this age group. Communicating openly, authentically and honestly on them—as discussed in the previous section—often matters most.

“I'm Gen Z, but I know how you deliver information. This is not how you would [deliver information] to anybody else. Talk to me like you would talk to your colleague. We understand the information. We're all grown." - Agnes, Democrat

Since we expected young adults to prefer social media as a method of communication, we asked them specifically about which platforms they prefer. Our survey data shows that there were not large differences between young adults’ preferred social media platforms for receiving information from the federal government. The notable distinctions are between the 18–24 and 25–34 age groups, which expressed preference for TikTok over Facebook and vice versa, respectively. These results suggest that a multiplatform strategy may be the best way for agencies to engage young adults.

When it comes to TikTok, however, it is important to note that federal agencies are not allowed by law to be on that platform due to security concerns. Nevertheless, federal agencies could consider partnering with trusted messengers (as identified below) on the platform to reach and engage a young adult audience about the government’s work.

Effective versus trustworthy messengers

Both age groups view experts and scientists as the most effective and trustworthy messengers for information about the federal government.

Overall, 31% of our August 2024 survey respondents chose experts and scientists as two of their top three sources who share information about the government most effectively. Even more—36%—believe they are trustworthy messengers. Several other groups, such as peers, social media influencers and educators, are seen nearly as effective, while educators and family members were the next most trusted.

Somewhat expectedly, 18–24-year-old adults view social media influencers as more effective messengers than those aged 25–34. However, both groups, especially those in the older category, do not find these messengers particularly trustworthy. Overall, only 14% trust social media influencers to convey government information—19% among 18–24-year-olds and just 9% of those aged 25–34.

This is the biggest gap between perceived effectiveness and trustworthiness among the information sources we identified in our survey, and it may indicate that influencers lack the credibility or reliability to serve as messengers for government information intended to improve trust. Given this finding, agencies should be cautious and conduct thorough due diligence when using influencers to help communicate with young adults.

Notably, young adults do not view elected officials and government spokespeople as particularly effective or trustworthy sources for information about the government. Just 20% of survey respondents view elected officials as effective and trustworthy, while only 15% believe government spokespeople possess these qualities.

Young adults point to several characteristics that would make sources of information about the government trustworthy. Fully 58% of survey respondents chose “transparency and honesty” among their three key qualities for trustworthiness, and 41% view expertise in the subject matter as important. Young adults also value political neutrality, with 38% believing it makes someone a trusted source of information from the government. These findings echo what a majority of young adults in our focus groups felt about the federal government: that it is not transparent, does not communicate clearly and in straightforward ways, and lacks authenticity.

The Partnership’s research on public trust in government has found that despite negative perceptions of the federal government, the public views civil servants and federal careers more favorably. Through our focus groups and survey, we explored if 18–34-year-olds hold a similar perspective.

Most of our focus group participants held a neutral or positive viewpoint of federal employees and saw them as regular people doing their jobs.

“When I think about the employees of [the federal government], I think of people like me. I think that they’re fine, normal people most of the time.” – Christina, Democrat

I don’t have anything negative to say [about federal employees]. I know a good number of people [who] have worked for the federal government in some way. I have a lot of family in the military. I know a lot of people [who] have worked for the post office or some other kind of government agency. So, I definitely have no hatred or negativity toward any individuals. – Dominic, Independent

“Honestly, I think of the parts of government that aren’t filled with elected officials, people who are career civil servants…. The people who are doing the day-to-day stuff, I think I have a little more good feelings about [them] because I think … they know how to do it, they want to do good, and they’re not just doing it for their own personal benefit.” – Shelby, lower-income households

Our focus group participants watched two videos produced by the Partnership—the first featuring several young federal employees in various government roles and the second explaining how different federal agencies meaningfully contribute to people’s daily lives. Afterward, many participants felt more appreciative of the government, as they were reminded about the variety of what federal agencies do and how they improve people’s lives.

This positive reaction suggests that agencies should do more to highlight federal employees’ impact on people’s lives and communities. By highlighting civil servants’ everyday work and success stories, federal agencies could help improve the narrative about our government.

Beyond federal agencies, trusted and effective messengers could also play a key role in sharing the government’s work and highlighting the people behind it. As discussed in the previous section, experts and scientists—viewed as both effective and trustworthy for sharing government information—along with educators and social media influencers, with the caveats outlined above, could be enlisted to tell positive stories about the government. The perspectives of these messengers could help the government improve its public perception and regain the public’s trust.

Humanizing the federal workforce could also help inspire young adults to pursue a federal career. Fully 60% of our survey respondents believe that a career in the federal government is a good way to contribute to their communities. Additionally, when discussing views of federal employees, many focus group participants expressed curiosity about the wide range of federal job opportunities. Some even expressed an intent to consider a career in government.

However, according to our August 2024 survey, only 10% of 18–34-year-olds have ever applied for a job in government.

The issue might lie in a lack of awareness about federal opportunities. Many of our focus group participants believe that military careers are the only government jobs that are easy to find information about. They also said that without resonant portrayals of government roles, it is hard to understand what federal jobs entail. Furthermore, for the most part, the focus group participants said they do not notice federal jobs advertised on job search platforms they use.

When asked about the most important factors in considering a federal career, 50% of survey respondents highlighted work-life balance as their top priority. Another 44% and 42%, respectively, chose competitive pay and job stability as their top priorities. The latter offers the government a unique way to appeal to young adults, since private-sector jobs often offer less stability than those in government.

While 28% of our respondents chose mission/meaningful career as a top priority, it appears that mission alone does not trump more practical job considerations for young adults.

Based on our research, we suggest federal agencies employ the following strategies to improve young adults’ trust in government. For agencies already using these or similar strategies, we recommend they continue to build on their successes. We also suggest they share best practices and lessons learned with other agencies to strengthen the government’s overall efforts to regain the public’s trust, especially among young adults.

Communicate more authentically

Young adults value authenticity and honesty. Whether when communicating about government achievements, demystifying federal career opportunities or engaging the public on social media, the government is more likely to gain young adults’ trust by sharing a realistic and nuanced view of government performance and operations. Presenting only positive messages would likely have the opposite effect, alienating this age demographic.

Young adults experience unique and complex challenges, and the government should explicitly acknowledge them. At the same time, in response to young adults’ concerns about a lack of accountability, the government should make realistic, transparent commitments, and track measurable progress. Communicating these efforts in a way that resonates with younger generations is essential to building trust and fostering engagement.

Modernize digital presence

For a young audience that spends much of its time online, the government’s digital presence is the “face” that shapes first impressions and directly impacts how the government is viewed overall. Government agencies would become more relevant to, and approachable for, young adults by leveraging the online spaces they already occupy. This includes not only being present on social media, but also creating clear, concise, candid and authentic content. Our focus group participants suggested “a day in life” posts and live Q&A sessions with federal workers to make the government more relatable.

These strategies would demystify the roles of everyday federal employees—highlighting that the government is run by regular people, not distant special interests. By engaging directly with the public through Q&As or other forums, government agencies would demonstrate a commitment to transparency. Additionally, when agencies respond on social media or clearly explain their digital limitations, they show a willingness to be held accountable by the people they serve.

Leverage trusted messengers

Trustworthy messengers for young adults include experts, scientists, educators and family members who are honest, authentic and knowledgeable in their respective fields. To effectively communicate key information, the government should partner with politically neutral scientists, experts and educators to deliver messages.

Federal agencies could also explore partnering with social media influencers who already create government-related content and have a strong following. However, since young adults view social media influencers as effective but not particularly trustworthy messengers of government information, collaborations with them should be carefully considered.

Tell relatable stories about the work federal employees do

The government should share relatable and relevant content about the work of federal employees. Highlighting that career federal employees work on behalf of the public, are hired based on merit and must remain strictly nonpartisan would address key concerns young adults have about the government, such as corruption and the influence of money and special interests. Emphasizing that federal employees serve the people, not private interests, could foster trust and inspire young adults to see themselves in public service roles.

To reinforce this perception, agencies should present career opportunities in a clear way on familiar job-search platforms. Young adults already have positive perceptions of federal employees and are open to considering federal service. Leveraging this curiosity through better storytelling and more effective job postings would help federal agencies instill more positive feelings toward the government and revitalize its workforce.

Young adults are distrustful of the federal government, citing concerns of corruption, favoritism toward special interests and a lack of transparency. Nevertheless, many recognize positive outcomes of government work, particularly in providing everyday public services. This perspective offers an opportunity to bridge the trust gap.

In addition, our survey found that political affiliation did not impact trust much among young people. In an age of political polarization, this finding indicates that efforts to build trust in government among people ages 18–34 can appeal broadly.

Young adults seek more transparency, authenticity, and clearer and more straightforward communication from federal leaders. They want to be met where they are—whether through social media or by recognizing their lived experiences.

Ultimately, rebuilding trust will take time, but it is a necessary and worthwhile endeavor. It is essential to fostering a new generation of civically engaged young adults and to creating a federal workforce that reflects the aspirations of our nation’s younger generations.