Confidence in Congress falls to a new, spectacular low as faith in all institutions breaks down

There is virtually no confidence in Congress in the United States.

A 40-year running poll of confidence in US institutions from Gallop found that just 7% of Americans have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in Congress, down from 10% last year and 30% a decade ago.

The mystery is why anyone at all has any confidence in them. In any case, confidence in institutions is falling right across the board.

• Confidence in the Supreme Court fell to a record low of 30% from 34% and 46% a decade ago.
• Confidence in the public education system fell to a record low of 26% from 32% and 41% a decade ago.
• Confidence in television news fell to a record low of 18% from 23% and 30% a decade ago.
• Confidence in the office of the Presidency fell to 29% from 36%, just above the low at the end of the Bush II era.
• Confidence in the police, the medical system and the criminal justice system are also at record lows.

Of all the trends in the United States the trend of falling faith in institutions could have the most wide-ranging and dire consequences, something I wrote about earlier this week.