Americans’ confidence in key federal institutions has eroded to near-record lows, according to a new Gallup poll conducted between September 2 and 16, 2025. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now hover between 25% and 31% approval marking their worst performance ratings in Gallup’s tracking history. Only the U.S. Postal Service maintains majority support, with 56% of Americans rating its work as “excellent” or “good.”
The collapse in agency ratings isn’t evenly distributed it’s deeply political. With a Republican administration now in the White House, Republican Approval of nearly every federal agency has risen since 2024, while Democratic Confidence has sharply declined. Majorities of Republicans now give positive ratings to the Department Of Defense (74%), Department Of Homeland Security (73%), and even the FBI (51%) a stark reversal from last year, when no agency earned majority Republican support. Meanwhile, Democrats offer majority approval to only two entities: the U.S. Postal Service (66%) and NASA (52%).
This partisan realignment echoes patterns seen during previous presidential transitions such as when Joe Biden took office in 2021 or during Donald Trump’s first term. Yet this year’s swing is especially pronounced. The Department Of Homeland Security saw a 10-point jump in approval, rebounding from a record low to 42%, though it remains far below its 2017 peak of 59%. The Secret Service also recovered among Republicans following last year’s security failures during an assassination attempt on former President Trump.
The most dramatic declines hit agencies once seen as apolitical pillars of public service. FEMA’s approval dropped by 20 percentage points the steepest fall followed by the CIA (-10 points) and CDC (-9 points). The FDA and EPA each lost seven points, while the IRS fell six points to 25%, just one point above its all-time low in 2013. These numbers reflect more than policy disagreements; they signal a broader unraveling of faith in the machinery of governance. Even agencies not tied to recent controversies, like the State Department and Federal Aviation Administration, now sit below 35% approval.
Notably, the Department Of Veterans Affairs recorded a new low of 25% a troubling sign for an agency tasked with caring for those who served. The Justice Department, Federal Reserve, and FAA also languish in the sub-35% range. Only NASA (48%) and the Department Of Defense (48%) approach parity in public sentiment, though even these are deeply split along party lines.
Amid the institutional freefall, the U.S. Postal Service remains the sole federal agency with majority approval and the only one whose rating hasn’t worsened among Democrats since last year. At 56%, its support cuts across ideology, geography, and generation. Letter carriers, sorting facilities, and rural post offices may lack the drama of border enforcement or pandemic response, but they deliver something increasingly rare in American life: consistency. For many, the Postal Service is the last tangible proof that government can still work quietly, reliably, and without fanfare.
Gallup’s findings suggest that public trust is shaped less by objective performance and more by which party holds power. When Democrats controlled the White House, they rated agencies like the EPA and CDC more favorably; now, under Republican leadership, those same agencies are viewed more positively by conservatives even as their operational challenges persist. The largest partisan gaps appear in ratings of Homeland Security (59-point divide), Defense (48 points), and the Justice Department (34 points). This dynamic reveals a troubling truth: for many Americans, institutional credibility is contingent on political alignment, not competence.
The poll was completed just before the October 1 partial government shutdown a reminder that declining trust isn’t abstract. It has real-world consequences: delayed disaster aid, stalled public health initiatives, eroded regulatory oversight. When citizens stop believing in the institutions meant to serve them, governance becomes theater, not function. Yet amid the data, one quiet fact endures: the Postal Service still shows up, rain or shine, red state or blue. Sometimes, The Most Radical Act Is Simply Doing Your Job Well.
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