Trust Tracker
How do Americans feel toward government and community institutions?
Trust in government continues to fall. State and local governments are more trusted than the federal government and its agencies.
As the year continues, State Voices will tracking trust in government and other institutions over time. This page will be updated monthly with new data points and trends.
What are Americans’ most trusted sources of information?
American voters continue to be suspect of national and social media. Friends and family remain highly trusted sources of information.
Attitudes on Political Division
How do American attitudes on political division affect their behaviors?
Despite political rhetoric and media messages, Americans are willing to listen to those with different opinions.
What do Americans think of divisiveness in politics?
Candidate tone and brand can be a key factor in close elections, with Americans increasingly preferring candidates they view as less divisive. This played out in the 2022 midterm elections.
Americans’ Views On The Issues
Each month, State Voices asks questions about specific issues and current events to hear Americans’ perspectives. A significant part of this effort is to understand what Americans in certain states and regions think about specific policy solutions. With this information, state and local leaders can make policy decisions that better serve the needs of their communities and constituents.
Featured Policy Issue: Housing Affordability
Housing affordability is a problem in a majority of communities across the country, according to 69% of American voters surveyed in SPN’s October 2022 State Voices poll. See what voters think about potential solutions.
Featured State Voices Report
SPN State Voices study reveals how member organizations can attract and retain high performers.
A closer look by experts reveals “The Great Resignation” actually became “The Great Reshuffle”—workers were finding new jobs, often in positions that offered a better salary. Driven largely by the pandemic, workers reevaluated what mattered most to them, including greater flexibility, more work-life balance, and better personal well-being.
In our inaugural full-length State Voices study, “Recruiting Talent in the Aftermath of the Great Reshuffle,” SPN highlights ways its members can learn from these trends to attract and retain key talent.
State Voices in the Media
Read more State Voices polling data and analysis in the news from Erin Norman, SPN’s Lee Family Fellow and Senior Messaging Strategist.
Why Americans are Concealing their True Political Beliefs
The Hill | October 25, 2022
The 50 Governments That Hold the Answer to American Division
Governing | October 10, 2022
Giving States More Autonomy is a Return to Our Country’s Foundation
The Washington Post | September 1, 2022
Rebuilding Trust in Government: A Model Emerges at Local Level
RealClearPolitics | August 16, 2022
Why We Must Expand Choice Within the Public School System
Washington Examiner | August 15, 2022
No, America Is Not on the Verge of a New Civil War
Governing | August 3, 2022
Trust in Government Lower Now Than After Watergate Scandal
RealClearPolitics | June 30, 2022
As Biden Dithers, States are Enacting Meaningful Inflation Policy
The Hill | June 6, 2022
Gen Z’s Surprising Support for Federalism
InsideSources | April 5, 2022
Declining trust in government shows why local politics matters
Washington Examiner | January 31, 2022
Resources for Members and Policymakers
Regularly updated resource with State Voices raw data can be founded by clicking the image below.
Methodology and Data Library
State Voices is fielded in partnership with Morning Consult once a month. The interviews are conducted online, and the data are weighted to approximate a target sample of Registered Voters based on gender by age, educational attainment, race, marital status, home ownership, race by educational attainment, 2016 presidential vote, and region. Results from the full nationwide survey have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
All data related to the State Voices project can be found here.
Contact SPN
Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and Senior Messaging Strategist at State Policy Network. She currently leads SPN’s State Voices Public Opinion Tracker.
For Media Requests, please contact Camille Walsh, Media Relations Manager.