Record 89% of Americans View Government Corruption as Widespread, Gallup Poll Shows
New data highlights growing distrust in public institutions alongside rising support and approval for labor unions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Perception of corruption within the United States government has reached a record high, according to the latest Gallup Front Page data released on September 15, 2026. A staggering 89% of Americans now state that corruption is widespread throughout the federal government, marking a 10 percentage point increase from 2025.
Key Gallup Survey Findings
| Metric Focus | Percentage / Reading | Context & Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Government Corruption Perception | 89% | Record high; up 10 points from 2025 |
| Business Corruption Perception | 71% | 18-point gap relative to government corruption |
| Want More Labor Union Influence | 47% | Record high; nearly double those wanting less influence |
| Overall Labor Union Approval | 71% | Matches 2022 level; highest overall since 1950s |
Perceptions of Government Corruption Outpace International and Corporate Benchmarks
The surge in government corruption concerns positions the United States well above international standards. For most of the past two decades, views of government corruption in the U.S. have outpaced those in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, where the median perception of corruption has remained below 60% since 2022.
Furthermore, public distrust is far more focused on public office than private enterprise. While 89% of respondents view government corruption as widespread, 71% say the same regarding businesses operating in the U.S. The resulting 18-point gap between government and business corruption represents the largest difference recorded in Gallup’s U.S. trend since 2006. Between 2006 and 2025, perceptions of government corruption averaged 11 percentage points higher than business corruption.
Record High Demand for Union Influence Alongside Strong Public Approval
In contrast to declining confidence in government integrity, public support for labor unions is experiencing significant momentum. Nearly half of Americans—47%—say they want labor unions in the U.S. to exert more influence than they currently do. This represents a new record high and is roughly double the 23% who prefer unions to have less influence. An additional 26% favor maintaining the current level of union influence.
Desire for greater union power has nearly doubled since reaching a record low of 25% in 2009, rising 4 percentage points since 2023 alone. Concurrently, the proportion of Americans calling for reduced union influence has dropped from 42% in 2009 to a record low of 23%.
Overall public approval of labor unions stands at 71%, matching the level measured in 2022. Union approval has consistently hovered between 67% and 71% over the past six years, rebounding significantly from a historical low of 48% in 2009. Historically, higher approval levels were observed only in 1936 (72%) and during the 1950s (73% to 75%).
Historical Vault: Public Attitudes Toward Business Regulations in 1937
Gallup’s historical data from 1937 provides context on how American attitudes toward major commercial interests have evolved over time. During the rise of major national retail chains such as A&P, F.W. Woolworth, J.C. Penney, and Walgreens, 60% of Americans opposed state-level bans on chain stores, while 30% favored prohibiting them.
While outright bans lacked majority support, Americans favored regulatory measures: 56% supported requiring chain stores to pay special taxes, while 65% maintained that “big business concerns” were ultimately positive for the nation.
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