New survey data reveals rising confidence in government workers — and what it signals for MPA careers and public service reform.
Sixty-five percent of Americans now consider civil servants competent, up from 57 percent in 2025, according to a March-April 2026 Partnership for Public Service poll of 1,000 adults.1 That jump, along with a 15-percentage-point rise in positive views of commitment since 2021, marks a record high at a moment when political attacks on the federal workforce have intensified.
The shift is especially sharp among Republicans, where the share agreeing civil servants are committed to helping people like them climbed from 52 percent to 63 percent in a single year. For public administration and policy careers, the numbers signal a public that increasingly separates the career civil service from political leadership, a distinction critical to maintaining institutional legitimacy.
As agencies navigate pressure to restructure, the survey reveals that only 8 percent of Americans support giving the president more control over federal workers. Efficiency and spending concerns dominate instead, suggesting that a nonpartisan civil service remains a deeply held democratic norm.
In the spring of 2026, the Partnership for Public Service polled 1,000 U.S. adults (margin of error ±3.1%) and found that 65% of Americans consider civil servants competent, a sharp rise from 57% in 2025 and 55% in 2024.1 The belief that civil servants are "committed to helping people like me" reached 61%, up from 56% in 2025 and 50% in 2024.1 These double-digit gains over two years mark the highest levels recorded in the survey's history. The data suggest that public appreciation for the daily work of federal employees is strengthening, even as approval of the broader federal government remains low.
Support for a nonpartisan civil service has never been higher. In 2026, 76% of respondents said it is important for democracy, up 10 points from 2025 and rebounding toward the 87% recorded in 2024.1 Notably, Republican agreement jumped from 66% in 2025 to 78% in 2026, a 12-point shift, while Democratic support held at 72% in 2025, with liberal Democrats at 77%.2 The narrowing partisan gap signals that attacks on the civil service as overly politicized may be backfiring, as Partnership senior research manager Paul Hitlin suggested. Only 8% of Trump administration supporters cited giving the president more control over federal workers as a priority, indicating that efficiency and spending concerns, not politicization, drive reform sentiment.1
Pew Research Center data shows a gradual climb in confidence in federal civil servants, from 52% in 2022 to 55% in 2025.2 While Pew's numbers are lower than the Partnership's 2026 figures, likely reflecting methodological differences, the upward trajectory is consistent. In contrast, public administration and policy salary research aside, trust in the federal government overall remains stagnant at just 17% in 2025.3 This gap underscores why public service leadership lessons from career federal executives matter to scholars who distinguish between trust in institutions and trust in the people who staff them. The new 2026 high may reflect the public's recognition of civil servants' visible roles during national challenges, from pandemic response to infrastructure implementation.
A nationally representative poll of 1,000 U.S. adults by the Partnership for Public Service reveals record-high trust in civil servants across multiple dimensions. The March-April 2026 survey shows significant year-over-year gains in public perceptions of competence, commitment, and the importance of a nonpartisan civil service.
The public's willingness to distinguish between the performance of political leaders and the competence of career civil servants is reshaping how we measure government effectiveness. Conflating the two obscures a critical trend: while institutional trust has eroded over decades, confidence in the nonpartisan workforce delivering public services has quietly strengthened.
Trust in government is a broad measure that captures sentiment toward elected officials, political institutions, and partisan processes. In contrast, trust in civil servants zooms in on the career professionals who implement policy, deliver services, and keep agencies running regardless of administration changes. The Partnership for Public Service's 2026 poll found that 65% of Americans view civil servants as competent, yet only about 20-25% trust the federal government to do the right thing, according to longstanding Pew Research Center data. This gap is not a fluke; it reflects a public that separates its frustration with Washington politics from its appreciation for frontline workers.
Pew's trust in government series, stretching back to 1958, tells a story of steady decline punctuated by crisis. In 1958, 77% of Americans trusted the government in Washington to do the right thing most of the time. The Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal drove that number down sharply, with trust falling below 30% by the late 1970s. Brief rebounds in the 1980s and late 1990s proved temporary. The Iraq War and the 2008 financial crisis pushed trust into single digits by the early 2010s. Today, it hovers near 20-25%, a fraction of its mid-century peak. These swings correlate with scandals, wars, and economic turmoil: events tied to political decision-making, not bureaucratic competence.
The growing gap signals that citizens increasingly evaluate government on two separate tracks. OECD research underscores this by distinguishing institutional trust from service-delivery trust. The United States consistently scores higher on the latter, where civil servants interact directly with the public. Debates around civil service reform have inadvertently highlighted the essential role of these workers, making their contributions more visible. As trust in civil servants rises, even among groups historically skeptical of government, it challenges the assumption that public confidence is monolithic. For public administrators, this means that building trust does not require solving political polarization; it requires doubling down on transparency, competence, and the nonpartisan delivery of results.
The most remarkable finding in the 2026 Partnership for Public Service survey is an 11-percentage-point jump among self-identified Republicans who agree that civil servants are committed to helping people like them, rising from 52% in 2025 to 63% in 2026. This single-year shift is the largest partisan swing recorded since the poll began tracking attitudes toward the federal workforce. It reverses a multi-year trend of declining Republican trust and comes during a period of intensified political debate over the proper scope and independence of federal agencies.
Republicans did not simply register higher faith in civil servants' competence; they expressed broader institutional support. The proportion of Republicans agreeing that a nonpartisan, professional civil service is important for democracy climbed from 66% in 2025 to 78% in 2026, an increase of 12 percentage points that nearly closes the gap with the overall national figure of 76%. While the overall public rating of civil servants' commitment rose by 5 points, the Republican jump was more than double that pace, suggesting a segment of the electorate reassessed its views rapidly.
Paul Hitlin, senior research manager at the Partnership for Public Service, offered a clear interpretation: attacks on the civil service "may actually be backfiring." His comment points to a dynamic where vocal criticism of federal workers, rather than eroding public confidence, triggers a protective reaction. As civil servants become subjects of political contention, more Americans appear to rally around the ideal of a stable, nonpartisan bureaucracy that serves the public regardless of who holds elected office.
What explains this shift among Republicans? Responses to a separate question offer clues. Among supporters of Trump administration changes to government, 55% said their primary motivation was improving efficiency, 45% cited cutting spending, but only 8% said they wanted to give the president more control over federal workers. This pattern reveals that the public frames public service reforms in managerial, not political, terms. Voters across the spectrum seem far more interested in a government that operates effectively and economically than in expanding political loyalties within the workforce. For public administration professionals, the data suggest that messaging around performance, accountability, and lean operations resonates far better than partisan appeals. The rising Republican support for a nonpartisan civil service points to a durable consensus: Americans want competence, not politicization.
In the global landscape of public trust, the United States occupies a lower tier when confidence in civil servants is measured against other developed nations. While recent domestic surveys show rising faith in federal workers, cross-national data from the OECD reveals a more sobering picture: in 2023, only about 31% of Americans expressed trust in government, a metric that closely tracks perceptions of the civil service.1
The OECD's 2025 Government at a Glance report highlights striking variation across member countries.2 Trust levels range from robust majorities in Northern and Western Europe to well below average in some regions. Below are select findings for 2023, the most recent year with full country coverage:
The U.S. figure sits well below the OECD average, illustrating a persistent trust gap that exists alongside the recent domestic uptick in positive views of individual civil servants.
Three factors help explain these disparities. First, institutional design: countries with strong social safety nets, transparent governance, and merit-based public administration systems (such as Switzerland and Finland) consistently earn higher trust. Second, service quality: perceptions of responsiveness, fairness, and accessibility in public services directly shape confidence. Third, politicization: where civil service functions are seen as insulated from partisan maneuvering, trust is generally higher. The U.S. case is notable because trust in the civil service as a nonpartisan institution is rising even as overall trust in government remains low, suggesting that Americans increasingly separate their views of civil servants from their feelings about political leadership.
What concrete steps can government agencies take to maintain and build upon the rising trust in civil servants? Public trust is not self-sustaining. It must be actively nurtured through deliberate strategies that demonstrate competence, commitment, and fairness. Research in public administration careers and degrees points to several evidence-based approaches that agencies can adopt to reinforce the positive perceptions captured in recent polling.
When agencies make their operations, decision-making processes, and performance data accessible, they reduce information asymmetry and signal accountability. Open data portals, plain-language reporting, and proactive disclosure of program outcomes help citizens see how public resources are used. Studies have found that transparency initiatives correlate with higher trust levels, particularly when citizens can easily verify claims and track progress.
Meaningful two-way communication builds relational trust. Effective strategies include participatory budgeting, citizen advisory boards, digital feedback platforms, and responsive complaint resolution. When people feel heard and see their input reflected in service improvements, their confidence in civil servants grows. Evidence from local government experiments shows that engagement not only improves policy outcomes but also humanizes the bureaucracy, countering stereotypes of unresponsive administration.
Perceived competence is a cornerstone of trust. Agencies can invest in staff training, service design, and performance management to deliver reliable, timely, and equitable services. When citizens experience seamless interactions, whether applying for benefits, accessing licenses, or receiving emergency assistance, they attribute that success to capable civil servants. Consistent service delivery, even in routine transactions, reinforces the narrative of a professional, effective workforce.
Recent polling reveals strong bipartisan support for a nonpartisan civil service, underscoring the importance of insulating public servants from political pressure. Agency leaders can champion merit-based hiring, resist politicized appointments, and communicate their commitment to serving all constituencies equally. Federal-state partnership accountability tools offer practical frameworks for maintaining performance standards across levels of government. By visibly upholding these principles, civil servants strengthen the institutional legitimacy that fosters long-term public trust.
Does higher public trust in civil servants actually improve job prospects for MPA and MPP graduates? The latest survey data suggests a clear yes, and the implications extend beyond the hiring pipeline into daily professional life.
When 65% of Americans view civil servants as competent and 61% believe they are committed to helping people, the profession sheds the stigma of bureaucratic indifference. This reputational boost makes public service roles more attractive to mission-driven candidates who might otherwise choose private or nonprofit sectors. For graduate programs, the message is powerful: an MPA or MPP now carries enhanced social capital, and students can expect a public that is more receptive to their expertise. Prospective students exploring careers in public administration will find this moment unusually favorable for entering the field.
Feeling valued by the public translates directly into workplace satisfaction. The 15-percentage-point gain in positive views of civil servant commitment since 2021 represents more than a number. It validates the daily work of policy analysts, city managers, and program directors. High morale reduces burnout and turnover, preserving institutional knowledge and stabilizing agencies during transitions.
A degree in public administration is an investment in a career that the public increasingly respects. For those weighing graduate options, the survey provides evidence of a durable trend: the nation depends on nonpartisan expertise. This environment elevates the return on investment for MPA and MPP programs, as graduates enter a workforce where their contributions are recognized.
Practitioners can lock in these gains by strengthening public engagement skills. Clear explanations of how services work, transparent reporting of outcomes, and direct community interaction reinforce the very trust that attracts talent. MPA local government partnership models offer a proven framework for this kind of structured civic engagement. Current civil servants should pursue professional development in data storytelling, community outreach, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure the trust curve keeps rising.
The 2026 Partnership for Public Service poll reveals shifting public perceptions of government. Below are key questions and data-driven answers for public administration scholars and practitioners.
