Locals lead, states score, feds falter.

Winter, Mary

Compared to Congress, state governments shine. According to a Pew Research Center national survey of 1,501 respondents in March, a majority of Americans--57 percent--viewed their state government favorably, a 5 percent increase over last year. In contrast, the federal government's approval rating fell 5 percentage points to a new low of 27 percent.

One explanation for the wide gap between state and federal approval ratings may be that people perceive state leaders as more fiscally responsible than Congress and the White House, says Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Research Center. "The federal deficit is a major concern for Americans, whereas many states, by law, must balance their budgets," Doherty says. Survey findings support that theory. Thirty percent of respondents said their state's economy was excellent or good; only 16 percent said the same about the U.S. economy.

Others suggest the state-federal disparity stems from Americans' dislike of partisanship and gridlock in Washington, D.C. Another factor may be that people feel a closer bond to their state and hometown office holders and institutions. "Some of it has to do with proximity," says Doherty. "They see the federal government as a distant institution, while state leadership is much closer."

Public confidence in public schools, organized religion, banks and TV news also has dropped to historic lows, making state governments' gains even more noteworthy.

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Partisan Breakdown

Government's approval ratings by survey respondents'
political affiliations.

          Republican   Independent   Democrat

Federal      13%           27%         41%
State        57%           59%         56%
Local        63%           60%         67%

Source: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
March 2013 Political Survey

Note: Table made from bar graph.