Americans trust in key federal agencies hits record lows

Data: Gallup; Chart: Jacque Schrag/AxiosAmericans' approval ratings for six major federal agencies — FEMA, CIA, CDC, FDA, EPA and the IRS — have dropped sharply since 2024, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. The big picture: Many of these agencies sit at or near their lowest approval levels in Gallup's records, which date back to 2003, signaling an overall increase in dissatisfaction toward the U.S. government.The intrigue: While Democrats' ratings of most agencies have weakened, Republicans' have mostly improved, echoing partisan shifts seen during President Trump's first term and early in former President Biden's presidency.Republicans and Republican-leaning voters now give the Department of Defense (74%) and Homeland Security (73%) strong approval ratings, likely reflecting the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and crime. Yes, but: Homeland Security is the only department Republicans rated more positively compared to the Trump administration in 2019.Among Democrats and Democrat-leaning voters, only the U.S. Postal Service (66%) and NASA (52%) retain majority positive reviews. The USPS is the only department whose approval among Democrats hasn't declined since 2024, and the only one to receive majority approval from those surveyed.Reality check: FEMA, the EPA and the CDC had low ratings across party lines, with the steepest overall drops among the agencies since the 2024 poll. Less than 35% of Americans rated the State Department, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Justice Department, Federal Reserve Board and Department of Veterans Affairs positively. The bottom line: Partisan divides are making it harder for Americans and Congressional leaders to find common ground on the role of the government. Methodology: The nationwide poll was conducted Sept. 2-16, 2025. Telephone interviews were conducted with a random sample of 1,000 adults. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points.

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