Public opinion polling is the ultimate democratic process; it gives every person an equal voice in letting elected leaders know what they need and want. But in the eyes of the public, polls today are tarnished. Recent election forecasts have routinely missed the mark and media coverage of polls has focused solely on their ability to predict…

Surveys have indicated for decades that Americans’ trust in all levels of government has been declining. Since 1960, Americans’ trust in the federal government to handle domestic problems has fallen from roughly 75% to about 20% (Pew Research Center, 2021). However, the questions used to poll Americans’ trust in government have focused…