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  • Mar, 2013

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    Trust in institutions

    Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?

     

    Total
    trust
    26
    Sep
    11

    Total
    trust
    12
    Jun
    12

    Total trust
    22
    Oct
    12

    Total trust
    18
    Mar
    13

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    A little trust

    No trust

    Don’t know

    % change

    The High Court

    72%

    60%

    63%

    74%

    34%

    40%

    13%

    6%

    8%

    +11

    The ABC

    46%

    54%

    59%

    70%

    22%

    48%

    17%

    6%

    7%

    +11

    The Reserve Bank

    67%

    49%

    53%

    64%

    21%

    43%

    21%

    8%

    7%

    +11

    Charitable organisations

    61%

    50%

    53%

    52%

    9%

    43%

    33%

    9%

    6%

    -1

    Environment groups

    45%

    32%

    36%

    41%

    6%

    35%

    33%

    20%

    7%

    +5

    The Commonwealth Public Service

      49%*

    30%

    33%

    36%

    4%

    32%

    37%

    17%

    9%

    +3

    Federal Parliament

    55%

    22%

    26%

    34%

    4%

    30%

    31%

    29%

    6%

    +8

    Your local council

    na

    na

    32%

    34%

    3%

    31%

    39%

    22%

    6%

    +2

    TV news media

    na

    21%

    26%

    30%

    4%

    26%

    46%

    20%

    4%

    +4

    State Parliament

    na

    na

    25%

    30%

    4%

    26%

    32%

    31%

    6%

    +5

    Newspapers

    na

    26%

    31%

    30%

    3%

    27%

    43%

    22%

    5%

    -1

    Religious organisations

    29%

    27%

    31%

    27%

    5%

    22%

    29%

    37%

    7%

    -4

    Online news media

    na

    23%

    28%

    27%

    3%

    24%

    48%

    20%

    6%

    -1

    Business groups

    38%

    22%

    25%

    26%

    3%

    23%

    42%

    23%

    9%

    +1

    Trade unions

    39%

    22%

    23%

    25%

    4%

    21%

    31%

    36%

    7%

    +2

    Political parties

    na

    12%

    16%

    12%

    1%

    11%

    36%

    45%

    6%

    -4

     Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.
* This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.

    Since this question was last asked in October, there has been a significant increase in trust in the High Court (+11%), the ABC (+11%), the Reserve Bank (+11%) and the Federal Parliament (+8). Trust in the High Court and Reserve Bank is back to similar levels to that recorded in 2011.

    Respondents had most trust in the High Court (74%), the ABC (70%), the Reserve Bank (64%) and charitable organisations (52%). They had least trust in political parties (12%), trade unions (25%), business groups (26%), online news media (27%) and religious organisations (27%).

    Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in the ABC (77%), environment groups (50%), the Commonwealth Public Service (44%), local councils (42%), Federal Parliament (43%) and trade unions (41%).

    Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had a little more trust in religious organisations (31%) and TV news media (35%).

  • Oct, 2012

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    Trust in organisations and institutions

    Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?

     

    Total

    trust

    26 Sep 11

    Total

    trust

    12 Jun 12

    Total trust

    22 Oct 12

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    A little trust

    No trust

    Don’t know

    % change

    The High Court

    72%

    60%

    63%

    26%

    37%

    21%

    10%

    6%

    +3

    The ABC

    46%

    54%

    59%

    20%

    39%

    26%

    8%

    6%

    +5

    The Reserve Bank

    67%

    49%

    53%

    16%

    37%

    28%

    12%

    8%

    +4

    Charitable organisations

    61%

    50%

    53%

    9%

    44%

    33%

    10%

    5%

    +3

    Environment groups

    45%

    32%

    36%

    8%

    28%

    35%

    24%

    6%

    +4

    The Commonwealth Public Service

      49%*

    30%

    33%

    6%

    27%

    41%

    16%

    10%

    +3

    Your local council

    na

    na

    32%

    4%

    28%

    39%

    22%

    6%

    na

    Religious organisations

    29%

    27%

    31%

    7%

    24%

    28%

    35%

    6%

    +4

    Newspapers

    na

    26%

    31%

    4%

    27%

    45%

    20%

    4%

    +5

    Online news media

    na

    23%

    28%

    4%

    24%

    45%

    20%

    6%

    +5

    TV news media

    na

    21%

    26%

    5%

    21%

    44%

    26%

    4%

    +5

    Federal Parliament

    55%

    22%

    26%

    4%

    22%

    37%

    32%

    5%

    +4

    State Parliament

    na

    na

    25%

    4%

    21%

    37%

    33%

    5%

    na

    Business groups

    38%

    22%

    25%

    3%

    22%

    45%

    21%

    9%

    +3

    Trade unions

    39%

    22%

    23%

    5%

    18%

    32%

    36%

    9%

    +1

    Political parties

    na

    12%

    16%

    2%

    14%

    36%

    42%

    6%

    +4

    Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.
    * This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.

    Overall, there have been small increases in trust across all organisations since this question was last asked in June. However, there has been no significant change in the rankings.

    Respondents had most trust in the High Court (63%), the ABC (59%), charitable organisations (53%) and the Reserve Bank (53%). They had least trust in political parties (16%), trade unions (23%), business groups (25%) State Parliaments (25%), Federal Parliament (26%) and TV news media (26%).

    Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in Federal Parliament (40%), the High Court (67%), the ABC (68%), the Reserve Bank (61%), the Commonwealth Public Service (42%), trade unions (41%), environment groups (48%) and local councils (39%).

    Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had more trust in religious organisations (37%) and business groups (32%) but less trust in Federal Parliament (21%), Commonwealth Public Service (28%), trade unions (14%) and environment groups (27%).

  • Jun, 2012

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    Trust in Institutions

    Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?

     

    Total

    trust

    26 Sep 11

    Total

    trust

    12 Jun 12

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    A little trust

    No trust

    Don’t know

    % change

    The High Court

    72%

    60%

    20%

    40%

    24%

    9%

    7%

    -12

    The ABC

    46%

    54%

    15%

    39%

    31%

    10%

    6%

    +8

    Charitable organisations

    61%

    50%

    8%

    42%

    35%

    10%

    5%

    -9

    The Reserve Bank

    67%

    49%

    13%

    36%

    30%

    14%

    7%

    -18

    Environment groups

    45%

    32%

    6%

    26%

    35%

    25%

    7%

    -13

    The Commonwealth Public Service

      49%*

    30%

    4%

    26%

    42%

    18%

    9%

    -19

    Religious organisations

    29%

    27%

    5%

    22%

    30%

    37%

    6%

    -2

    Newspapers

    na

    26%

    3%

    23%

    46%

    23%

    5%

    na

    Online news media

    na

    23%

    2%

    21%

    45%

    25%

    6%

    na

    Federal Parliament

    55%

    22%

    3%

    19%

    37%

    36%

    6%

    -33

    Trade unions

    39%

    22%

    3%

    19%

    32%

    37%

    9%

    -17

    Business groups

    38%

    22%

    2%

    20%

    46%

    24%

    8%

    -16

    TV news media

    na

    21%

    3%

    18%

    43%

    30%

    5%

    na

    Political parties

    na

    12%

    2%

    10%

    31%

    52%

    5%

    na

    Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.

    * This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.

     

    Respondents had most trust in the High Court (60%), the ABC (54%), charitable organisations (50%) and the Reserve bank (49%). They had least trust in political parties (12%), TV news media (21%) Federal Parliament, trade unions and business groups (all 22%).

    Trust in all institutions (except the ABC) declined since this question was asked last year. The major changes were a collapse in trust in Federal Parliament (-33%) and substantial declines in trust in the Commonwealth Public Service (-19%), the Reserve Bank (-18%), trade unions (-17%) and business groups (-16%).

    Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in political parties (19%), Federal Parliament (34%), the High Court (67%),  the Reserve Bank (57%), the Commonwealth Public Service (42%), trade unions (36%) and  environment groups (43%).

    Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had more trust in religious organisations (33%) and business groups (27%) but less trust in Federal parliament (17%), the ABC (46%), trade unions (14%) and environment groups (21%).

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