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Americans also significantly differ in their views of the FBI by generation
by CRAIG HELMSTETTER | January 4, 2023
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s most recent Mood of the Nation Poll, conducted November 14-18, 2022, finds that a much higher proportion of Democrats than Republicans say that they trust the Federal Bureau of Investigation and that they believe FBI agents are fair.
In addition, the survey finds that a higher proportion of younger Americans believe that the FBI is biased against groups on the left, whereas larger proportions of older generations distrust the FBI due to a perceived bias against former President Trump.
Trust in the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Half of Americans trust the FBI either “most of the time” (40%) or “just about always” (10%). This is significantly higher than Americans’ trust in the federal government more generally; about one-quarter of Americans trust “the government in Washington” to do what is right either “just about always” or “most of the time.”
Trust in the FBI is significantly higher among Democrats than either Republicans or political independents.
Only 4% of Republicans indicate that that they “just about always” trust the FBI to do what is right, compared with 17% of Democrats.
Only 7% of Democrats indicate that they “hardly ever” trust the FBI to do what is right, compared with 30% of independents and 32% of Republicans.
Perceptions of potential bias within the FBI
Poll respondents were also asked to respond to a question which further probed their perceptions of the FBI:
Still thinking about the FBI,which of the following comes closest to your opinion (even if none are exactly right)?
Many FBI agents do not enforce the law fairly, because they are biased against former President Trump and his agenda
Many FBI agents do not enforce the law fairly, because they are opposed to liberals and groups like Black Lives Matter
Many FBI agents do not enforce the law fairly, because they are poorly trained and not very competent
Most FBI agents enforce the law fairly, and criticisms of the FBI are unfair
Overall, a two-in-five plurality of Americans indicate that they believe FBI agents are fair. Here again, the largest group-to-group differences follow political allegiances, with half of all Republicans favoring the statement indicating perceived bias against former President Trump. Among Democrats, over half favored the statement indicating that they perceived FBI agents to be fair.
The survey also found that generational differences in perceptions of FBI bias are also fairly pronounced.
Only 31% of Generation Z indicated that they feel FBI agents are fair, compared with 50% of the Silent Generation.
Thirty-eight percent of Generation Z indicates that FBI agents are biased against groups on the left, an option chosen by none of the respondents from the Silent Generation.
Change in trust and perceived bias over the past 4 years
Americans’ trust in the FBI at the end of 2022 is very similar to the level of trust found in a 2018 Mood of the Nation Poll that asked the same questions. However, the 2018 poll found lower levels of trust in the federal government.
The 2018 poll also found a somewhat higher proportion of respondents indicating that FBI agents are fair, and a somewhat lower proportion indicating that the FBI is biased against groups on the left than is the case in the late 2022 poll.
PARTNER FOR THIS SURVEY
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State promotes scholarship and practical innovations that defend and advance democracy in the United States and abroad. Through teaching, research and public outreach, the Institute leverages the resources of Penn State and partners around the world to foster a model of deliberation, policymaking and responsiveness that is passionate, informed and civil.
The Institute’s Mood of the Nation poll offers a unique approach to public opinion polling. It allows Americans to speak in their own words through open-ended questions that focus on emotions like anger and hope, as well as commitment to constitutional principles.
For earlier findings from our collaboration with the McCourtney Institute, see our Mood of the Nation landing page.