Nearly All Americans Believe There is Corruption in the Federal Government
September 2, 2026
Democrats and Republicans largely agree on what constitutes corruption, but partisan loyalties change how they judge identical presidential behavior
Executive Summary
Nearly all Americans believe at least some corruption exists within the federal government, according to the latest University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll. The survey of 1,000 respondents, conducted Aug. 21-26, found that 97% say at least some corruption exists within the government, with three-quarters saying “a great deal” of corruption exists. A majority of respondents, 53%, identified the presidency as the most corrupt institution of the federal government, but the poll found familiar political biases.
The poll asked respondents about their views on what counts as corruption, and broad majorities agree that some forms of corruption are obvious, including self-dealing, political favoritism and abusing democratic institutions. However, the poll did find partisan double-standards when respondents were asked if a president from their own party uses federal agencies to investigate political opponents.
Additionally, the poll asked respondents about their levels of trust in Trump to fairly uphold his office, as well as their views on some of the more questioned dealings of his presidency.
Finally, the poll also found that 69% of Americans believe the country is currently on the wrong track, 15-points worse than an April 2025 UMass Amherst Poll conducted during the first months of the Trump presidency.
Corruption in the Federal Government
“As President Donald Trump, members of his Cabinet, and prominent members of Congress face scrutiny over their financial dealings and alleged profiteering while in office, we sought to gauge Americans’ views of the extent of corruption in Washington, which federal institutions they consider most corrupt, and where they draw the line on corrupt behavior by elected officials and political parties,” explains Tatishe Nteta, provost professor of political science at UMass Amherst and director of the poll. “We find near unanimity among Americans on the existence of corruption in the federal government, with 97% believing that at least some corruption exists. At a time of intense polarization, when Americans are deeply divided along partisan, ideological, generational, class and racial lines, they speak with one voice on this question, overwhelmingly agreeing that corruption exists in Washington.”
A majority of respondents, 53%, identified the presidency as the most corrupt institution of the federal government, but the poll found that familiar political biases reemerge.
“The remarkable thing is that virtually everybody thinks Washington is corrupt,” says Raymond La Raja, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll. “What divides Americans is who they think the villains are—87% of Democrats rank the presidency as the most corrupt institution, compared with just 18% of Republicans. Instead, 44% of Republicans put the ‘federal bureaucracy’ at the top of the list, followed by Congress at 30%.”
“With partisans holding such diametrically opposed views about where corruption resides, there is little reason to expect meaningful action at the federal level,” Nteta says. “This leaves the door open to the very corruption that Americans overwhelmingly believe exists in their government.”
The poll also asked respondents about their views on what actually counts as corruption, and broad majorities agree that some forms of corruption are obvious, including self-dealing, political favoritism and abusing democratic institutions.
“As part of our deep dive into attitudes regarding corruption in Washington, we wanted to see exactly what behaviors Americans think are corrupt,” explains Alexander Theodoridis, associate professor of political science and co-director of the UMass Poll. “On this we find more agreement than disagreement among Democrats and Republicans. Americans see giving greater access or promising votes because of campaign contributions as corrupt; they see using the power of public office to make oneself or one’s family money as corrupt; they see using federal agencies to investigate opponents as corrupt; and, they believe it is corrupt when a political party changes election rules because they think it will help them win.”
“Americans expect institutions to police abuses of public power,” La Raja says. “And on a clear case of corruption—trading votes for campaign contributions—they don’t think the answer is simply to wait until Election Day. More than 8 in 10 want either a criminal or ethics investigation when officials trade votes for contributions. This isn’t partisan, either, as 87% of Democrats and 87% of Republicans want an investigation if a politician does this.
“Importantly, Americans are also telling us that something doesn’t have to be illegal to be corrupt,” La Raja adds. “More than 8 in 10 consider it corruption when officials legally use their power for personal gain, political favoritism or to weaken democratic checks on their authority. Voters appear to have a pretty clear standard: public power shouldn’t be used for private or political advantage.”
Presidential Corruption
The new UMass Amherst Poll also asked respondents about their levels of trust in Trump to fairly uphold his office, as well as their views on some of the more questioned dealings of his presidency.
“Donald Trump has broken with precedent, and longstanding norms, by advancing his business interests during his presidency,” says Jesse Rhodes, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll. “Trump’s cryptocurrency ventures—where he has made an estimated $1.4 billion during his presidency—have received a great deal of public and media attention. These ventures are not popular: 77% of Americans think Trump should not be profiting from such business ventures and 52% believe he ‘definitely should not’ be doing so. Importantly, Trump’s high-profile business ventures during his presidency are likely eroding public trust in his presidency, as 66% of Americans do not trust Trump to avoid using his position as president to benefit his family’s business interests and 61% lack confidence in his ability to make decisions that serve the public interest.”
Right Direction or Wrong Track?
The latest UMass Amherst Poll found that nearly 7 in 10 Americans (69%) believe the country is currently on the wrong track.
“This represents a 15-point increase since we last polled in April 2025, during the first months of the Trump presidency, and reflects a strikingly negative assessment of the president’s ability to deliver on his promise to restore American greatness,” Nteta says. “Perhaps most notably, this increasingly dour outlook has reached even the president’s most ardent supporters. Since April 2025, the share of Republicans who believe the country is on the wrong track has more than doubled, from 15% to 37%, as have the shares of conservatives (18% to 40%) and Trump voters (16% to 34%) who hold this view. With the midterm elections only months away, President Trump and congressional Republicans face a difficult challenge in reversing these increasingly negative perceptions of the nation’s direction.”
State of the Economy
One of the main drivers of the declining view of the nation’s standing may be found in the poll respondents’ equally depreciating assessment of the economy.
“Americans’ view of the national economy, which has been grim for some time, has deteriorated further during Trump’s presidency,” Rhodes says. “Just before Trump’s election, in October 2024, 32% rated the national economy as ‘fair,’ and 36% viewed it as ‘poor.’ But now those perceptions are at 39% and 41%, respectively. These numbers should be keeping Republicans up at night. When 80% of Americans have a dim view of the economy, it spells bad news for the party in power.”
“Americans’ views of their personal economic circumstances are somewhat better than their perceptions of the national economy, but they’re still not good at all,” Rhodes adds. “Our survey results suggest that Americans’ negative evaluations of their personal economic circumstances are likely tied to their concerns about inflation, and they perceive that basic necessities are becoming more expensive. When inflation hits peoples’ pocketbooks, their economic outlooks turn sour quickly.”
“Americans don’t need an economist to tell them how the economy is doing,” La Raja says, “they’re looking at their grocery bills, utility bills and gas prices. Eighty-two percent say grocery prices have increased in recent months, 78% say gas prices have risen, and 77% say utilities have gone up. It’s hardly surprising that 4 in 5 Americans now describe the national economy as fair or poor.”
“Like last year, a majority of Americans (53%) blame President Trump for these developments,” Rhodes says. “In bad news for the president, the belief that he bears the lion’s share of the blame is shared among virtually all demographic groups. Only Trump’s strongest supporters—Republicans and 2024 Trump voters—place the blame elsewhere.”
Methodology
- Field Dates: August 21 –26, 2026
- Sample: 1,000 Respondents
- Margin of Error: 3.5%
The respondents were matched to a sampling frame on gender, age, race, and education. The sampling frame was constructed by stratified sampling from the full 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year sample with selection within strata by weighted sampling with replacements (using the person weights on the public use file).
The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores. The matched cases and the frame were combined and a logistic regression was estimated for inclusion in the frame. The propensity score function included age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, region, and home ownership. The propensity scores were grouped into deciles of the estimated propensity score in the frame and post-stratified according to these deciles.
The weights were then raked (iterative proportional fitting) on 2024 presidential vote choice and post-stratified using a four-way stratification of gender, age (4-categories), race (4-categories), and education (4-categories), to produce the final weight.
Read more about the UMass Poll's methodology
Read more about the contributing members of the UMass Poll team
Toplines
View the toplines from the September 2, 2026 National Public Opinion Poll release regarding the state of the nation and corruption in the federal government.
This PDF contains the official toplines from this poll. Toplines are the raw question‑and‑answer results from the poll—showing exactly how people answered each question before any analysis or interpretation is added.
State of the National Economy and Individual Economic Situation (N=1,000)
Thinking about the state of our national economy, would you rate the nation's economy as . . .
Thinking about your own economic situation, would you rate your own economic situation as . . .
| Rating | Aug. 2026 | March 2026 | July 2025 | April 2025 | Oct. 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | Own | National | Own | National | Own | National | Own | National | Own | |
| Excellent | 3% | 5% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 6% |
| Good | 18% | 31% | 21% | 35% | 27% | 34% | 22% | 36% | 27% | 29% |
| Fair | 39% | 39% | 39% | 43% | 40% | 35% | 41% | 39% | 32% | 39% |
| Poor | 41% | 25% | 37% | 18% | 29% | 24% | 34% | 21% | 36% | 26% |
Perceived Cost Changes by Category Across Survey Waves (N=1,000)
To the best of your knowledge, in the past few months, would you say the cost of (Insert from Rows) has increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
| Cost Category | Aug. 2026 | March 2026 | July 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increased | Stayed the Same | Decreased | Increased | Stayed the Same | Decreased | Increased | Stayed the Same | Decreased | |
| Groceries | 82% | 16% | 2% | 77% | 19% | 4% | 70% | 22% | 8% |
| Gas | 78% | 17% | 5% | 91% | 6% | 3% | 41% | 38% | 21% |
| Utilities (Natural Gas, Electricity, Oil, Water, Etc.) | 77% | 22% | 1% | 80% | 19% | 1% | 63% | 34% | 4% |
| Clothing | 62% | 37% | 1% | 58% | 40% | 2% | 56% | 41% | 3% |
| Child Care* (N=538) | 76% | 22% | 2% | N/A | N/A | ||||
*Asked only of those for whom childcare costs were applicable
Who Is Most Responsible for the Rise in the Price of Goods and Services, Across Survey Waves (N=915)
Only shown to respondents who indicated that at least one of the above goods and services has increased.
From the following list, who do you believe is most responsible for the rise in the price of goods and services?
| Entity | Aug. 2026 | March 2026 | July 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| President Donald Trump | 53% | 53% | 52% |
| Former President Joe Biden | 9% | 10% | 15% |
| Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve | N/A | 3% | 1% |
| Democratic Party | 10% | 12% | 7% |
| Republican Party | 9% | 8% | 6% |
| Large Corporations | 20% | 14% | 19% |
Right Direction/Wrong Track Over Time (N=1,000)
Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
| Response | Aug. 2026 | March 2026 | July 2025 | April 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right Direction | 20% | 23% | 29% | 35% |
| Wrong Track | 69% | 65% | 59% | 54% |
| Not Sure | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% |
Approval Ratings for U.S. Supreme Court and Political Parties Over Time (N=1,000)
Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job?
| Institution / Party | Strongly Approve | Somewhat Approve | Somewhat Disapprove | Strongly Disapprove | Not Sure | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 2026 | Mar 2026 | Jul 2025 | Aug. 2026 | Mar 2026 | Jul 2025 | Aug. 2026 | Mar 2026 | Jul 2025 | Aug. 2026 | Mar 2026 | Jul 2025 | Aug. 2026 | Mar 2026 | Jul 2025 | |
| U.S. Supreme Court | 5% | 8% | 8% | 29% | 27% | 30% | 22% | 28% | 21% | 31% | 22% | 29% | 13% | 15% | 12% |
| The Democratic Party | 6% | 6% | 6% | 22% | 22% | 25% | 22% | 23% | 23% | 43% | 39% | 40% | 8% | 10% | 7% |
| The Republican Party | 9% | 8% | 12% | 20% | 23% | 23% | 16% | 12% | 14% | 49% | 48% | 45% | 6% | 9% | 5% |
Perceived Level of Corruption in the Federal Government (N=1,000)
How much corruption do you believe exists in the federal government today?
| Response | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A Great Deal | 75% |
| Some | 22% |
| Not much | 2% |
| None at all | 1% |
Corruption Ranking of Federal Governmental Institutions (Most to Least Corrupt) (N=1,000)
From the following list, please rank the following four federal governmental institutions from the most to least corrupt.
| Institution | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the United States | 53% | 9% | 18% | 20% |
| United States Congress | 18% | 41% | 28% | 13% |
| United States Supreme Court | 7% | 26% | 34% | 34% |
| United States Federal Bureaucracy | 23% | 24% | 20% | 33% |
Views on What Constitutes Political Corruption 1 (N=1,000)
People have different ideas about what constitutes political corruption. For each of the following, do you consider it political corruption?
| Scenario | Definitely Corruption | Probably Corruption | Probably Not Corruption | Definitely Not Corruption | Not Sure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illegal self-dealing: A public official breaks the law to financially benefit themselves or their family. | 81% | 9% | 3% | 1% | 6% |
| Legal self-dealing: A public official uses the powers of office to financially benefit themselves or their family, even though no law is broken. | 54% | 29% | 9% | 2% | 7% |
| Political favoritism: A public official uses the powers of office to provide special benefits to political allies or supporters, even though no law is broken. | 52% | 29% | 10% | 2% | 7% |
| Abuse of democratic institutions: A public official uses the powers of office to weaken checks on their authority or make it harder for political opponents to compete, even though no law is broken. | 61% | 22% | 7% | 1% | 8% |
Views on What Constitutes Political Corruption 1, by Party Identification (Democrat N=440 & Republican N=341)
People have different ideas about what constitutes political corruption. For each of the following, do you consider it political corruption?
| Scenario | Definitely Corruption | Probably Corruption | Probably Not Corruption | Definitely Not Corruption | Not Sure | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | |
| Illegal self-dealing: A public official breaks the law to financially benefit themselves or their family. | 85% | 82% | 7% | 12% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 0% | 3% | 3% |
| Legal self-dealing: A public official uses the powers of office to financially benefit themselves or their family, even though no law is broken. | 56% | 52% | 30% | 31% | 9% | 10% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 6% |
| Political favoritism: A public official uses the powers of office to provide special benefits to political allies or supporters, even though no law is broken. | 55% | 46% | 28% | 33% | 9% | 14% | 2% | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Abuse of democratic institutions: A public official uses the powers of office to weaken checks on their authority or make it harder for political opponents to compete, even though no law is broken. | 72% | 51% | 17% | 30% | 6% | 11% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 8% |
Perceived Corruption Level for Specific Official Actions 2 (N=1,000)
For each of the following, please indicate whether you view the action as corrupt or not corrupt.
| Action | Not At All Corrupt | Slightly Corrupt | Somewhat Corrupt | Very Corrupt | Extremely Corrupt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An elected official promises to vote a certain way in exchange for a financial contribution. | 4% | 8% | 10% | 21% | 57% |
| An elected official gives greater access to campaign contributors than to people who have not contributed. | 8% | 13% | 23% | 23% | 34% |
| An elected official uses the power of their office to make a profitable personal investment. | 6% | 8% | 13% | 26% | 47% |
| An elected official's close family member receives lucrative business opportunities from people seeking favorable treatment from the government. | 5% | 10% | 17% | 26% | 42% |
| An elected official uses federal agencies to investigate or punish political opponents. | 9% | 9% | 17% | 20% | 45% |
| A political party changes election rules because its leaders believe the changes will make it easier for their party to win elections. | 6% | 8% | 13% | 24% | 49% |
| After leaving office, an elected official accepts a high-paying job from an industry the official helped while in office. | 14% | 17% | 25% | 18% | 25% |
Partisan Perception of Corruption
Note: Respondents were randomly shown treatment 1 (Democratic President) or treatment 2 (Republican President).
Do you consider this action corrupt or not corrupt?
Treatment 1: Democratic President Scenario (N=524)
A Democratic president directs federal agencies to investigate prominent politicians from the Republican Party, even though career officials at the agencies had not recommended opening those investigations.
| Rating | All Respondents (N=524) | Democratic Respondents (N=232) | Republican Respondents (N=176) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all corrupt | 10% | 15% | 5% |
| Slightly corrupt | 13% | 16% | 11% |
| Somewhat corrupt | 24% | 22% | 21% |
| Very corrupt | 24% | 26% | 25% |
| Extremely corrupt | 29% | 22% | 39% |
Treatment 2: Republican President Scenario (N=476)
A Republican president directs federal agencies to investigate prominent politicians from the Democratic Party, even though career officials at the agencies had not recommended opening those investigations.
| Rating | All Respondents (N=476) | Democratic Respondents (N=207) | Republican Respondents (N=165) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all corrupt | 17% | 2% | 37% |
| Slightly corrupt | 12% | 1% | 24% |
| Somewhat corrupt | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Very corrupt | 19% | 24% | 14% |
| Extremely corrupt | 31% | 54% | 8% |
Corruption Consequences (N=1,000)
Please select the most appropriate consequence under the following situations.
| Situation | Open Criminal Investigation | Open Ethics Investigation | Let Voters Decide | Nothing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| An elected official promises to vote a certain way in exchange for a financial contribution. | 49% | 37% | 11% | 3% |
| An elected official uses the power of their office to make a profitable personal investment. | 47% | 38% | 11% | 5% |
| An elected official uses federal agencies to investigate or punish political opponents. | 43% | 38% | 14% | 5% |
Corruption Consequences by Partisan Identification (Democrat N=440 & Republican N=341)
Please select the most appropriate consequence under the following situations.
| Situation | Open Criminal Investigation | Open Ethics Investigation | Let Voters Decide | Nothing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | Dem | Rep | |
| An elected official promises to vote a certain way in exchange for a financial contribution. | 51% | 47% | 36% | 40% | 11% | 10% | 3% | 3% |
| An elected official uses the power of their office to make a profitable personal investment. | 50% | 39% | 35% | 45% | 11% | 11% | 4% | 5% |
| An elected official uses federal agencies to investigate or punish political opponents. | 52% | 34% | 33% | 44% | 12% | 15% | 3% | 7% |
Trust in President Donald Trump on Key Matters (N=1,000)
How much do you trust President Donald Trump to . . .
| Statement | A Lot | Some | Not Much | Not At All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| make decisions as president that serve the public interest? | 22% | 17% | 15% | 46% |
| avoid using his position as president to benefit his family's business interests? | 16% | 19% | 12% | 54% |
| avoid using his position as president to target his political enemies? | 12% | 21% | 14% | 53% |
Views on Whether a Sitting President Should Profit from Related Business Ventures (N=1,000)
According to his financial disclosures, President Trump and his family earned roughly $1.4 billion from cryptocurrency ventures last year. Should a sitting president be allowed to profit from business ventures that could be affected by the policies and decisions of his administration?
| Response | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Definitely Should | 6% |
| Probably Should | 17% |
| Probably Should Not | 25% |
| Definitely Should Not | 52% |
Support/Opposition to Naming Initiatives Honoring President Donald Trump (N=1,000)
Do you support or oppose . . .
| Initiative | Strongly Agree | Somewhat Agree | Neither Agree Nor Disagree | Somewhat Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adding President Donald Trump's name to the Kennedy Center? | 7% | 7% | 24% | 9% | 53% |
| Naming a class of U.S. Navy battleship after President Donald Trump? | 12% | 8% | 24% | 8% | 48% |
| Hanging banners with President Donald Trump's picture on federal government buildings? | 6% | 6% | 26% | 10% | 51% |
Demographic Breakdown of the University of Massachusetts Amherst August 2026 National Poll
| Category | Demographic Group | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Gender | 49% |
| Women | Gender | 51% |
| 18-29 | Age | 20% |
| 30-54 | Age | 41% |
| >55 | Age | 39% |
| HS or less | Education | 37% |
| Some Coll. | Education | 18% |
| Coll. Deg. | Education | 32% |
| Postgrad | Education | 13% |
| <$40K | Income | 36% |
| $40K-$100K | Income | 38% |
| >$100K | Income | 26% |
| Democrat | Party Identification | 40% |
| Independent | Party Identification | 22% |
| Republican | Party Identification | 38% |
| Liberal | Ideology | 29% |
| Moderate | Ideology | 35% |
| Conservative | Ideology | 36% |
| White | Race/Ethnicity | 70% |
| African American | Race/Ethnicity | 13% |
| Hispanic | Race/Ethnicity | 12% |
| Asian | Race/Ethnicity | 5% |
| Harris | 2024 Presidential Vote | 49% |
| Trump | 2024 Presidential Vote | 51% |
| Not at all MAGA | MAGA Identification | 32% |
| Somewhat MAGA | MAGA Identification | 37% |
| Very Much MAGA | MAGA Identification | 31% |
| Not at all DSA | DSA Identification | 46% |
| Somewhat DSA | DSA Identification | 42% |
| Very Much DSA | DSA Identification | 12% |
Crosstabs
View the crosstabs for the September 2, 2026 National Public Opinion Poll release regarding the state of the nation and corruption in the federal government.
This PDF contains the official crosstabs from this poll. Crosstabs break the raw question-and-answer results out by different groups of respondents, such as age, gender, or party affiliation, showing how answers vary across the population.
How Much Corruption
| Category | Group | A Great Deal | Some | Not Much | None at All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 74% | 23% | 2% | 1% |
| Women | 75% | 22% | 2% | 1% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 72% | 24% | 2% | 2% |
| 30-54 | 76% | 20% | 3% | 1% | |
| >55 | 75% | 24% | 1% | 1% | |
| Education | HS or less | 70% | 25% | 3% | 1% |
| Some Coll. | 74% | 23% | 2% | 1% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 79% | 19% | 2% | 1% | |
| Postgrad | 77% | 21% | 2% | 0% | |
| Income | <$40k | 74% | 20% | 3% | 2% |
| $40k-$100k | 72% | 26% | 2% | 0% | |
| >100k | 78% | 20% | 2% | 0% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 81% | 16% | 2% | 1% |
| Ind. | 72% | 23% | 3% | 1% | |
| Rep. | 69% | 28% | 2% | 0% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 87% | 12% | 1% | 1% |
| Mod. | 72% | 24% | 3% | 1% | |
| Cons. | 72% | 25% | 2% | 0% | |
| Race | White | 76% | 22% | 2% | 1% |
| African American | 70% | 27% | 4% | 0% | |
| Latino | 75% | 19% | 5% | 1% | |
| Asian | 63% | 34% | 3% | 0% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 86% | 13% | 1% | 0% |
| Trump | 70% | 27% | 3% | 1% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 69% | 29% | 2% | 1% |
| Somewhat | 65% | 33% | 2% | 0% | |
| Very Much | 74% | 22% | 4% | 0% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 76% | 20% | 2% | 2% |
| Somewhat | 84% | 14% | 1% | 0% | |
| Very Much | 92% | 8% | 0% | 0% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Corruption Ranking (% Select as Most Corrupt)
| Category | Group | President of the United States | United States Congress | United States Supreme Court | United States Federal Bureaucracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 48% | 21% | 6% | 25% |
| Women | 57% | 15% | 8% | 21% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 51% | 18% | 9% | 21% |
| 30-54 | 55% | 18% | 8% | 19% | |
| >55 | 51% | 18% | 3% | 27% | |
| Education | HS or less | 47% | 19% | 10% | 23% |
| Some Coll. | 48% | 19% | 6% | 26% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 58% | 17% | 5% | 20% | |
| Postgrad | 60% | 17% | 2% | 20% | |
| Income | <$40k | 50% | 16% | 13% | 21% |
| $40k-$100k | 54% | 19% | 4% | 24% | |
| >100k | 53% | 21% | 3% | 23% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 87% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Ind. | 51% | 22% | 8% | 19% | |
| Rep. | 18% | 30% | 8% | 44% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 89% | 5% | 3% | 3% |
| Mod. | 58% | 17% | 6% | 19% | |
| Cons. | 17% | 31% | 9% | 43% | |
| Race | White | 48% | 21% | 5% | 26% |
| African American | 71% | 6% | 11% | 12% | |
| Latino | 54% | 18% | 15% | 13% | |
| Asian | 65% | 17% | 3% | 15% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 92% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Trump | 14% | 33% | 7% | 45% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 32% | 30% | 7% | 31% |
| Somewhat | 7% | 31% | 9% | 53% | |
| Very Much | 16% | 30% | 8% | 46% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 85% | 5% | 7% | 3% |
| Somewhat | 92% | 3% | 2% | 4% | |
| Very Much | 80% | 9% | 6% | 6% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
What Counts as Corruption 2 (% Very/Extremely Corrupt)
| Category | Group | Elected official trades vote for a financial contribution. | Elected official gives greater access to campaign contributors. | Elected official uses their office to make a profit. | Elected official’s family receives business opportunities. | Elected official uses agencies to punish political opponents. | A political party changes election rules. | Elected Official Accepts a high-paying job. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 78% | 55% | 74% | 68% | 66% | 72% | 47% |
| Women | 78% | 59% | 72% | 68% | 65% | 73% | 40% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 68% | 48% | 65% | 59% | 56% | 68% | 36% |
| 30-54 | 77% | 56% | 72% | 68% | 65% | 73% | 45% | |
| >55 | 85% | 63% | 78% | 73% | 70% | 74% | 46% | |
| Education | HS or less | 69% | 54% | 65% | 64% | 58% | 67% | 40% |
| Some Coll. | 84% | 55% | 75% | 67% | 65% | 74% | 41% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 81% | 63% | 78% | 72% | 72% | 78% | 46% | |
| Postgrad | 88% | 54% | 81% | 73% | 73% | 76% | 50% | |
| Income | <$40k | 70% | 53% | 67% | 61% | 59% | 67% | 42% |
| $40k-$100k | 81% | 60% | 75% | 71% | 67% | 75% | 42% | |
| >100k | 83% | 56% | 76% | 72% | 71% | 76% | 46% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 80% | 62% | 78% | 75% | 76% | 80% | 43% |
| Ind. | 74% | 58% | 68% | 65% | 62% | 69% | 49% | |
| Rep. | 79% | 51% | 71% | 62% | 56% | 67% | 41% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 86% | 68% | 84% | 81% | 86% | 83% | 49% |
| Mod. | 74% | 57% | 70% | 66% | 62% | 73% | 42% | |
| Cons. | 80% | 53% | 72% | 65% | 58% | 69% | 43% | |
| Race | White | 81% | 58% | 75% | 69% | 66% | 73% | 44% |
| African American | 77% | 45% | 71% | 59% | 63% | 72% | 30% | |
| Latino | 64% | 58% | 64% | 67% | 61% | 68% | 52% | |
| Asian | 69% | 46% | 64% | 64% | 58% | 70% | 36% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 87% | 67% | 83% | 79% | 86% | 83% | 49% |
| Trump | 80% | 50% | 71% | 66% | 56% | 67% | 43% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 84% | 51% | 74% | 66% | 65% | 67% | 49% |
| Somewhat | 74% | 46% | 74% | 62% | 48% | 60% | 39% | |
| Very Much | 79% | 56% | 65% | 59% | 56% | 74% | 36% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 73% | 55% | 70% | 71% | 72% | 75% | 40% |
| Somewhat | 86% | 70% | 86% | 78% | 80% | 85% | 42% | |
| Very Much | 85% | 66% | 81% | 83% | 81% | 85% | 58% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Trump Crypto
| Category | Group | Should | Should Not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 23% | 77% |
| Women | 23% | 77% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 20% | 80% |
| 30-54 | 21% | 79% | |
| >55 | 26% | 74% | |
| Education | HS or less | 29% | 71% |
| Some Coll. | 25% | 75% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 16% | 84% | |
| Postgrad | 18% | 82% | |
| Income | <$40k | 26% | 74% |
| $40k-$100k | 22% | 78% | |
| >100k | 20% | 80% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 7% | 93% |
| Ind. | 14% | 86% | |
| Rep. | 45% | 55% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 4% | 96% |
| Mod. | 18% | 82% | |
| Cons. | 45% | 55% | |
| Race | White | 27% | 73% |
| African American | 11% | 89% | |
| Latino | 27% | 73% | |
| Asian | 16% | 84% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 3% | 97% |
| Trump | 44% | 56% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 18% | 82% |
| Somewhat | 45% | 55% | |
| Very Much | 73% | 27% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 9% | 91% |
| Somewhat | 5% | 95% | |
| Very Much | 6% | 94% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Trump Trust (% A Lot/Some)
| Category | Group | make decisions as president that serve the public interest | avoid using his position as president to benefit his family’s business interests | avoid using his position as president to target his political enemies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 43% | 36% | 34% |
| Women | 35% | 34% | 32% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 22% | 22% | 23% |
| 30-54 | 37% | 28% | 28% | |
| >55 | 50% | 48% | 43% | |
| Education | HS or less | 43% | 39% | 38% |
| Some Coll. | 38% | 34% | 33% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 36% | 30% | 30% | |
| Postgrad | 37% | 34% | 26% | |
| Income | <$40k | 37% | 38% | 36% |
| $40k-$100k | 39% | 33% | 31% | |
| >100k | 42% | 33% | 32% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 8% | 12% | 10% |
| Ind. | 21% | 24% | 23% | |
| Rep. | 82% | 64% | 63% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 4% | 7% | 9% |
| Mod. | 34% | 29% | 25% | |
| Cons. | 77% | 64% | 60% | |
| Race | White | 47% | 39% | 38% |
| African American | 13% | 21% | 19% | |
| Latino | 30% | 32% | 30% | |
| Asian | 35% | 30% | 16% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 4% | 9% | 6% |
| Trump | 82% | 67% | 64% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 57% | 36% | 36% |
| Somewhat | 88% | 71% | 72% | |
| Very Much | 98% | 86% | 79% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| Somewhat | 4% | 11% | 7% | |
| Very Much | 4% | 14% | 14% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Trump Naming (% Support)
| Category | Group | Adding name to the Kennedy Center? | Naming a class of U.S. Navy battleship after President Trump? | Hanging banners with President Trump’s picture on federal government buildings? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 15% | 24% | 16% |
| Women | 13% | 17% | 10% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 9% | 13% | 11% |
| 30-54 | 11% | 17% | 12% | |
| >55 | 20% | 28% | 15% | |
| Education | HS or less | 14% | 19% | 15% |
| Some Coll. | 13% | 23% | 13% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 16% | 22% | 12% | |
| Postgrad | 10% | 16% | 7% | |
| Income | <$40k | 13% | 15% | 13% |
| $40k-$100k | 15% | 21% | 12% | |
| >100k | 14% | 24% | 14% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Ind. | 4% | 8% | 5% | |
| Rep. | 32% | 46% | 27% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| Mod. | 8% | 14% | 9% | |
| Cons. | 33% | 46% | 27% | |
| Race | White | 17% | 25% | 14% |
| African American | 2% | 6% | 5% | |
| Latino | 12% | 15% | 15% | |
| Asian | 12% | 16% | 12% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| Trump | 34% | 48% | 28% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 14% | 22% | 10% |
| Somewhat | 22% | 44% | 23% | |
| Very Much | 62% | 75% | 50% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 4% | 3% | 4% |
| Somewhat | 2% | 2% | 2% | |
| Very Much | 0% | 2% | 0% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Right Direction v. Wrong Track
| Category | Group | Right Direction | Wrong Track | Not Sure | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 2026 | Mar. 2026 | Jul. 2025 | Apr. 2025 | Aug. 2026 | Mar. 2026 | Jul. 2025 | Apr. 2025 | Aug. 2026 | Mar. 2026 | Jul. 2025 | Apr. 2025 | ||
| Gender | Men | 24% | 29% | 33% | 40% | 66% | 59% | 57% | 48% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
| Women | 16% | 16% | 26% | 31% | 73% | 71% | 62% | 59% | 11% | 12% | 13% | 11% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 9% | 14% | 23% | 25% | 81% | 67% | 65% | 60% | 10% | 19% | 12% | 15% |
| 30-54 | 15% | 18% | 21% | 34% | 74% | 71% | 64% | 55% | 11% | 12% | 15% | 11% | |
| >55 | 30% | 31% | 40% | 41% | 59% | 60% | 52% | 50% | 11% | 9% | 8% | 9% | |
| Education | HS or less | 21% | 23% | 34% | 37% | 65% | 62% | 55% | 50% | 14% | 15% | 12% | 13% |
| Some Coll. | 22% | 22% | 25% | 37% | 66% | 68% | 62% | 50% | 12% | 10% | 13% | 12% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 17% | 23% | 27% | 35% | 74% | 66% | 61% | 56% | 8% | 11% | 12% | 9% | |
| Postgrad | 18% | 22% | 29% | 28% | 75% | 70% | 65% | 66% | 7% | 9% | 6% | 6% | |
| Income | <$40k | 19% | 16% | 25% | 33% | 69% | 70% | 61% | 54% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 13% |
| $40k-$100k | 19% | 26% | 30% | 34% | 69% | 64% | 59% | 56% | 12% | 10% | 11% | 10% | |
| >100k | 23% | 26% | 34% | 41% | 69% | 62% | 59% | 48% | 8% | 13% | 7% | 11% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 1% | 1% | 3% | 6% | 94% | 95% | 93% | 89% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Ind. | 8% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 80% | 70% | 62% | 57% | 12% | 19% | 24% | 19% | |
| Rep. | 46% | 58% | 67% | 72% | 37% | 28% | 21% | 15% | 17% | 15% | 11% | 13% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 3% | 2% | 4% | 6% | 96% | 94% | 94% | 90% | 1% | 4% | 2% | 4% |
| Mod. | 12% | 15% | 20% | 30% | 73% | 74% | 65% | 59% | 14% | 11% | 15% | 11% | |
| Cons. | 46% | 55% | 67% | 70% | 40% | 32% | 25% | 18% | 14% | 13% | 9% | 12% | |
| Race | White | 25% | 29% | 36% | 39% | 62% | 60% | 54% | 50% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
| African American | 6% | 2% | 14% | 19% | 83% | 85% | 75% | 67% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 14% | |
| Latino | 10% | 15% | 23% | 33% | 85% | 70% | 61% | 59% | 6% | 15% | 16% | 9% | |
| Asian | 12% | 10% | 7% | 24% | 81% | 81% | 70% | 69% | 8% | 10% | 23% | 7% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 1% | 1% | 5% | 6% | 97% | 95% | 90% | 91% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Trump | 50% | 55% | 67% | 71% | 34% | 32% | 23% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 10% | 13% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 22% | 26% | N/A | N/A | 64% | 59% | N/A | N/A | 14% | 15% | N/A | N/A |
| Somewhat | 41% | 55% | N/A | N/A | 37% | 23% | N/A | N/A | 23% | 22% | N/A | N/A | |
| Very Much | 77% | 83% | N/A | N/A | 11% | 11% | N/A | N/A | 12% | 6% | N/A | N/A | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 1% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 91% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Somewhat | 1% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 96% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Very Much | 1% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 99% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
State of Economy
| Category | Group | National | Personal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | ||
| Gender | Men | 3% | 22% | 39% | 36% | 5% | 35% | 39% | 21% |
| Women | 2% | 14% | 39% | 46% | 6% | 26% | 39% | 29% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 5% | 9% | 38% | 48% | 5% | 30% | 37% | 28% |
| 30-54 | 2% | 15% | 43% | 40% | 4% | 26% | 39% | 31% | |
| >55 | 2% | 25% | 34% | 38% | 6% | 35% | 40% | 18% | |
| Education | HS or less | 3% | 18% | 42% | 37% | 3% | 27% | 41% | 28% |
| Some Coll. | 4% | 18% | 34% | 44% | 6% | 27% | 34% | 32% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 2% | 17% | 35% | 46% | 7% | 31% | 39% | 23% | |
| Postgrad | 1% | 20% | 46% | 33% | 6% | 43% | 38% | 14% | |
| Income | <$40k | 3% | 15% | 37% | 45% | 2% | 16% | 41% | 40% |
| $40k-$100k | 2% | 18% | 42% | 38% | 4% | 32% | 40% | 24% | |
| >100k | 2% | 25% | 38% | 35% | 10% | 50% | 33% | 6% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 1% | 4% | 38% | 57% | 5% | 25% | 40% | 31% |
| Ind. | 1% | 8% | 42% | 49% | 3% | 25% | 43% | 29% | |
| Rep. | 5% | 39% | 38% | 18% | 7% | 40% | 36% | 17% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 1% | 3% | 32% | 63% | 3% | 23% | 37% | 36% |
| Mod. | 2% | 13% | 47% | 38% | 6% | 31% | 40% | 23% | |
| Cons. | 4% | 39% | 34% | 22% | 7% | 41% | 37% | 15% | |
| Race | White | 2% | 23% | 38% | 37% | 6% | 33% | 38% | 24% |
| African American | 5% | 7% | 47% | 41% | 6% | 25% | 39% | 30% | |
| Latino | 1% | 8% | 32% | 59% | 1% | 25% | 44% | 30% | |
| Asian | 4% | 20% | 52% | 24% | 5% | 43% | 38% | 14% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 1% | 3% | 35% | 61% | 7% | 28% | 37% | 27% |
| Trump | 3% | 41% | 38% | 17% | 7% | 42% | 36% | 15% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 3% | 21% | 44% | 32% | 4% | 33% | 39% | 24% |
| Somewhat | 2% | 43% | 40% | 15% | 7% | 46% | 30% | 17% | |
| Very Much | 10% | 53% | 30% | 7% | 9% | 40% | 39% | 11% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 2% | 3% | 46% | 50% | 4% | 27% | 40% | 29% |
| Somewhat | 0% | 3% | 35% | 62% | 4% | 24% | 45% | 27% | |
| Very Much | 5% | 11% | 15% | 70% | 12% | 18% | 19% | 51% | |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Responsible
| Category | Group | Trump | Biden | Democratic Party | Republican Party | Large Corporations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 51% | 7% | 13% | 9% | 21% |
| Women | 54% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 19% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 47% | 5% | 5% | 10% | 32% |
| 30-54 | 58% | 6% | 9% | 9% | 17% | |
| >55 | 49% | 13% | 13% | 8% | 16% | |
| Education | HS or less | 53% | 9% | 10% | 7% | 20% |
| Some Coll. | 53% | 11% | 7% | 8% | 20% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 50% | 8% | 10% | 11% | 21% | |
| Postgrad | 56% | 5% | 13% | 11% | 15% | |
| Income | <$40k | 56% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 20% |
| $40k-$100k | 48% | 9% | 11% | 13% | 20% | |
| >100k | 57% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 16% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 77% | 0% | 3% | 10% | 11% |
| Ind. | 53% | 6% | 5% | 11% | 26% | |
| Rep. | 23% | 21% | 23% | 6% | 27% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 71% | 1% | 1% | 11% | 16% |
| Mod. | 60% | 5% | 7% | 10% | 17% | |
| Cons. | 22% | 21% | 25% | 7% | 25% | |
| Race | White | 46% | 11% | 12% | 8% | 23% |
| African American | 75% | 1% | 2% | 11% | 11% | |
| Latino | 66% | 2% | 7% | 8% | 17% | |
| Asian | 65% | 6% | 11% | 10% | 7% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 75% | 0% | 0% | 14% | 12% |
| Trump | 23% | 22% | 26% | 4% | 25% | |
| MAGA* | Not At All | 45% | 15% | 8% | 5% | 27% |
| Somewhat | 14% | 20% | 27% | 7% | 32% | |
| Very Much | 9% | 30% | 35% | 6% | 20% | |
| DSA** | Not At All | 80% | 0% | 3% | 10% | 7% |
| Somewhat | 77% | 0% | 1% | 11% | 12% | |
| Very Much | 65% | 0% | 9% | 4% | 22% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Demographic Breakdown of the University of Massachusetts Amherst August 2026 National Poll
| Category | Group | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 49% |
| Women | 51% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 20% |
| 30-54 | 41% | |
| >55 | 39% | |
| Education | HS or less | 37% |
| Some Coll. | 18% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 32% | |
| Postgrad | 13% | |
| Income | <$40K | 36% |
| $40K-$100K | 38% | |
| >$100K | 26% | |
| Party ID | Democrat | 40% |
| Independent | 22% | |
| Republican | 38% | |
| Ideology | Liberal | 29% |
| Moderate | 35% | |
| Conservative | 36% | |
| Race | White | 70% |
| African American | 13% | |
| Hispanic | 12% | |
| Asian | 5% | |
| 2024 Vote Choice | Harris | 49% |
| Trump | 51% | |
| MAGA* | Not at all MAGA | 32% |
| Somewhat MAGA | 37% | |
| Very Much MAGA | 31% | |
| DSA** | Not at all DSA | 46% |
| Somewhat DSA | 42% | |
| Very Much DSA | 12% |
* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.
** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.
Contact for This Poll
Director of UMass Poll
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