Decline in Republican Perception of Nonpartisan Civil Service's Importance Revealed by Polling Data
The latest survey data from the Partnership for Public Service reveals a significant shift in public perceptions towards the government and the federal workforce.
The most striking change is in the trust levels among Republicans. The percentage of Republicans who trust the government has seen a substantial increase from 10% in 2024 to 42% in 2025. This growth is particularly noticeable among younger Republicans, with trust increasing fivefold from 9% to 46% among those under 50, while trust among those aged 50 and over grew from 11% to 38%.
However, trust among Democrats aged 50 and over has decreased from 49% to 27%. Contrastingly, trust among younger Democrats has slightly increased from 34% to 35%.
The survey also shows a decline in the perception of government waste. The percentage of respondents who agreed that the federal government is wasteful decreased from 85% in 2024 to 61% in 2025, with reductions among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
The survey results also indicate a decline in public support for a nonpartisan civil service. While 87% of respondents agreed that a nonpartisan civil service is important for having a strong American democracy in 2024, this figure dropped to 66% in 2025. The decline was mostly driven by Republicans and independents.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, created with the goal of eliminating waste, has been a subject of controversy. Critics argue that the department non-strategically slashed agency workforces and worsened federal services.
The survey found that overall, 33% of respondents say they trust the federal government, up from 23% in 2024 and in line with the 35% who trusted the federal government in 2022. Trust in civil servants has also increased slightly, with 49% of respondents saying they trust civil servants, up from 46% in 2024.
In June, the Partnership released survey data that found most Americans opposed the layoffs of federal workers and agency funding cuts. Historically, Democrats and Republicans are more trusting of the government if their party controls the White House. In 2025, 31% of Democrats responded that they trust the government, which is down from 39% in 2024.
Donald Trump is seeking to reshape the federal workforce, with more Republicans expressing support for the president to exert increased political influence over the civil service. In the survey, 64% of GOP respondents said the president "should have the right to fill any government job with people that agree with their policies" (up from 33% in 2024).
The number of participants who don't trust federal employees has decreased from 32% to 23% between 2024 and 2025. Among the 18-34 demographic, trust in government has increased from 15% in 2024 to 36% in 2025, making them the age group with the highest level of trust.
It is unclear whether the decrease in the perception of government waste was due to views that the government is now more aligned with policy priorities or that the public was learning more about the government's activities and felt there was less waste than previously thought. The group of U.S. citizens that showed the largest increase in satisfaction with the government between 2024 and 2025 appears to be absent or not directly specified in the available search results.
