Less than a quarter of Americans view the U.S. federal government at least somewhat positively, becoming the worst-rated sector on the list, according to a new Gallup survey that was released on Thursday.
The new poll found that just 23 percent of U.S. adults see the federal government as “very” or “somewhat” positively. About 16 percent have a neutral view, while another 61 percent have a “somewhat” or “very” negative view of the sector.
The federal government is now at the bottom of the list, replacing the pharmaceutical industry, which was at the bottom over the past two years, the pollster noted.
Farming and agriculture are at the top of the list, with 60 percent of Americans viewing the sector a “very” or “somewhat” positive. Just 16 percent had a “somewhat” or “very” negative view of it.
The second on the list was the computer industry, with 59 percent having at least a somewhat positive outlook on the sector. Just under a quarter, 24 percent, hold a neutral view, while only 14 percent of U.S. adults have at least somewhat negative perception.
The only other sector that had that was rated positively, 52 percent, by Americans in the survey was the restaurant industry.
The average positive rating of all 25 sectors polled was 38 percent, a touch above last year’s 37 percent, according to the pollster. The average has been below 40 percent for the past five years. The lowest average rating was 34 percent in 2008. The highest was in 2017 with 49 percent.
The ratings for three sectors: the movie, telephone, and television and radio industries – have dropped to their lowest points. The movie industry had a 31 percent positive rating. Both television and radio industries were at 32 percent, according to the survey.
The poll was conducted from Aug. 1-20 among 1,094 adults. The margin of error was 4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
