by Mileah Kromer, Audrey Grutzik and Nicole Walker
In 1958, around three-quarters of Americans said they trusted the federal government “always” or “most of the time.” Trust has steadily and sometimes dramatically declined since the National Election Survey first asked that question. By May 2024, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that just 22 percent of Americans trusted the federal government.
State governments have historically performed much better than their federal counterparts in terms of public trust. For instance, Gallup found in September 2024 that 55 percent of Americans trusted their state government “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”
In mid-February, the UMBC Poll asked Marylanders how much they trusted their federal and state governments.
Consistent with national trends, Marylanders were twice as likely to trust their state government over the federal government when it comes to “doing what is right.” However, being twice as likely only translated to 41 percent who believed they could trust their state government “most of the time” or “just about always.” Fifty-six percent said they trusted the state government “never” or “only some of the time.”
In other words, Marylanders currently express somewhat below-average public trust toward their state government.
But why?
Studies of trust in government have found that Americans tend to trust the government more when their political party is in control. Democrats currently control the governorship and hold a long-standing veto-proof majority in the Maryland General Assembly. According to the UMBC Poll, 60 percent of Democrats trust the state government compared to only 16 percent of Republicans.
Five years ago, when Maryland’s government was divided between the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, nearly seventy percent of Republicans said they trusted the state government “some” or “all” of the time.
Part of the puzzle also lies in those not identifying with a political party. A notable decline in trust is evident among the state’s unaffiliated voters; just under thirty percent of these Marylanders trust the state government today compared to about three-quarters in 2019. These voters make up just over twenty percent of the state’s electorate.
Research also suggests that trust in government is related to state economic performance, and the data from the UMBC Poll supports this notion. Marylanders who view the state’s economic situation as “good” or “excellent” are far more likely to trust the state government than those who deem it “fair” or “poor.”
The troubling budget situation might also have an impact on public trust.
The UMBC Poll found that residents were divided regarding how the state government should address the multi-billion dollar budget deficit: 45 percent want it addressed by a combination of spending cuts and increases in taxes and fees, 37 percent want it addressed only or mostly with spending cuts to state government programs, and 12 percent would like it addressed only or mostly with increasing some taxes and fees.
Residents who prefer that the state government address the budget deficit mainly, or even solely, through spending cuts to state programs and services express the lowest levels of public trust.
These differences in attitudes certainly make sense. If you don’t trust the state government, you will likely favor cuts to state services and programs rather than tax and fee increases to maintain current services and programs. And this dynamic has a partisan contour: Republicans and unaffiliated voters are far more likely to prefer that the budget deficit be addressed through cuts than their Democratic counterparts.
A persistent lack of trust in government, whether at the state or national level, is problematic because public trust is a crucial foundation of representative democracy. Trust encourages citizens to feel more confident in their ability to fulfill civic duties and actively engage in public life. Likewise, trust fosters a belief that the government is responsive to the needs of voters. Consequently, when people trust that their government is acting in the best interests of the country or state, they are more inclined to participate in the democratic process, including voting and engaging in other civic activities.
Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to improving public trust. But our elected leaders—Democrats and Republicans alike—can take an important first by thoughtfully and transparently addressing the budgetary, economic, and other policy-related issues currently under debate in Annapolis.
Mileah Kromer is director of the UMBC Institute of Politics, which conducts the UMBC Poll. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at UMBC. Audrey Grutzik and Nicole Walker are research assistants at the UMBC Institute of Politics and political science majors at UMBC.
