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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for July 19, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
July 19, 2017: Seventy-three percent of people in India trust their government. The comparable figure in the United States is 30 percent.[1]
Drawing upon data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Statista listed nine countries with more trust in government than the United States. In addition to India, the list includes Canada (62 percent), Turkey (58 percent), Russia (58 percent), Germany (55 percent), South Africa (48 percent), Australia (45 percent), the United Kingdom (41 percent), and Japan (36 percent).
Statista’s Niall McCarthy, a data journalist, cites current events to explain the numbers. For example, he suggests that the distrust in the U.S. may be related to allegations of Russian collusion in Election 2016.[2]
However, as shown in an earlier Number of the Day, it has been 45 years since a majority of Americans trusted the federal government. The ongoing distrust has coincided with the growth of regulatory agencies.
One view, cited by McCarthy, is that “[t]rust in government serves as a vital driving force for a country's economic development.”[2] Other factors may be more important, however. Despite a persistent lack of trust in the federal government, the United States experienced strong economic growth during the 1980s and ‘90s.
In the second half of the 19th century, the nation also experienced solid economic growth despite the assassination of three presidents in 36 years.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- July 18, 2017 – 2,173,000 Americans incarcerated
- July 17, 2017 – 8 Pivot Counties in Maine that voted twice for Barack Obama, then voted for Donald Trump
- July 14, 2017 – 33 states have enacted voter ID requirements
- July 13, 2017 – 49 hours of streaming video content watched in average OTT home in a month
- July 12, 2017 – 20 Republican senators from states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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