Young Americans’ Trust in Federal Government Falls to Record Low, Harvard Poll Finds

Trust in the federal government has fallen to 15 percent among young Americans, the lowest level ever recorded by the Harvard Youth Poll, according to the spring 2026 edition of the poll released Thursday.

The Youth Poll, conducted by the Harvard Public Opinion Project at the Institute of Politics, surveyed 2,018 Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 from March 26 to April 3. It is the 52nd edition of the biannual poll, which has tracked the political attitudes of young Americans since 2000.

Half of respondents said people like them have no real say in what the government does — up 15 percentage points from 2017. The sentiment cut across party lines, with 53 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of independents, and 48 percent of Republicans all saying they feel voiceless, even as Republicans control the White House and Congress.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents said elected officials are motivated by selfish reasons, up from 59 percent in 2017.

“The economy is squeezing them. Iran is raising real fear. And too many young Americans feel invisible to the people in power — let alone represented by them,” IOP Director of Polling John Della Volpe said in a press release. “In a democracy, that’s a signal leaders can’t afford to ignore.”

Fifty percent of respondents said inflation had affected them “a lot,” and 41 percent said the same of rising housing costs. Forty-five percent said they were struggling to make ends meet or getting by with little financial security — a figure that rose to 57 percent among those not enrolled in college and without a degree.

Optimism about the country’s future has collapsed across the political spectrum, according to the survey. Twenty-six percent of young Americans said they feel hopeful about the future of America, down from 55 percent in 2021. The share of Democrats who said they feel hopeful has fallen from 78 percent to 12 percent over the past five years, while the share of Republicans has dropped 10 points in the past year, from 67 percent to 57 percent.

Just 13 percent of respondents said the country is headed in the right direction. Approval of President Donald Trump stood at 25 percent, down from 29 percent in the fall 2025 poll, while Congressional Democrats and Republicans received nearly identical ratings, at 26 percent and 25 percent. In spring 2018, Democrats were at 41 percent and Republicans at 24 percent.

Democrats led the generic congressional ballot 45 percent to 26 percent among registered young voters, with double-digit leads across every major subgroup. But 33 percent said they trust the 2026 midterms will be conducted fairly, while 43 percent said they do not.

Thirty-five percent said they would “definitely” vote in November, roughly in line with 2018 and 2022. The figure split sharply along partisan lines — 55 percent of Democrats, 35 percent of Republicans, and 25 percent of independents. Just 12 percent said they felt motivated and ready to participate.

Young Americans also voiced broad skepticism of U.S. military action in Iran. Fifty-five percent said the action was not in the best interest of the American people, while 18 percent said it was. Seventy-two percent said they worried the conflict could escalate into a larger war, and 63 percent said they were uneasy about military action taken without congressional approval.

Respondents drew sharp distinctions between international alliances. Fifty-three percent said the U.S. relationship with Canada was mostly a benefit to the country, while 46 percent said the relationship with Israel was mostly a burden.

Respondents were also wary of expanded presidential power. Sixty-two percent said it would be unacceptable for a president to defy a court order, and 53 percent said the same of a president bypassing Congress after declaring a national emergency. When a neutral national leader was described as declaring such an emergency, 28 percent said they would view it as a genuine crisis. When the declaration was attributed to Trump, 12 percent said so.

Respondents also said by a margin of more than three to one that regular Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in their communities would make them feel less safe rather than more safe.

Interim IOP co-directors Beth E. Myers and Ned C. Price said in a press release that the findings reflected a broader sense of unease among young voters.

“From a lack of trust in leaders, to deep-seated worries about the economy and military action in Iran, young people today have clear concerns about where our country is headed,” they said.

—Staff writer Jen L. Phan can be reached at [email protected] and Signal at jenphan.74. Follow her on X at @jenllphan.