Trust in Institutions
Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?
| NET: Total Trust | A lot of trust | Some trust | A little trust | No trust | Unsure | Mar
2019 |
Sep 2018 | Oct 2017 | Sep 2016 | |
| Federal police | 68% | 24% | 45% | 18% | 9% | 5% | 66% | 70% | 71% | 63% |
| State police | 68% | 23% | 45% | 20% | 8% | 4% | 66% | 67% | 67% | 63% |
| The High Court | 61% | 21% | 40% | 23% | 10% | 6% | 58% | 61% | 61% | 57% |
| The Reserve Bank | 60% | 16% | 44% | 23% | 10% | 7% | 49% | 50% | 49% | 47% |
| The ABC | 58% | 19% | 39% | 22% | 12% | 8% | 51% | 54% | 52% | 53% |
| Courts and the legal system | 57% | 16% | 41% | 27% | 12% | 4% | – | – | – | – |
| Charitable organisations | 54% | 12% | 42% | 27% | 13% | 6% | 50% | 47% | 46% | 43% |
| Federal Parliament | 53% | 13% | 40% | 29% | 13% | 5% | 35% | 28% | 30% | 26% |
| Your local council | 53% | 10% | 43% | 29% | 14% | 5% | 43% | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| The Commonwealth public service | 52% | 11% | 40% | 31% | 10% | 8% | 42% | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| State Parliament | 51% | 12% | 40% | 29% | 14% | 6% | 36% | 31% | 31% | 26% |
| Environment groups | 46% | 12% | 33% | 30% | 18% | 7% | 43% | 42% | 42% | 39% |
| Trade unions | 42% | 8% | 34% | 29% | 21% | 9% | 31% | 25% | 25% | 25% |
| Business groups | 40% | 6% | 34% | 37% | 15% | 9% | 31% | 29% | 28% | 27% |
| Religious organisations | 35% | 8% | 27% | 28% | 31% | 6% | 27% | 28% | 26% | 26% |
| Political parties | 33% | 5% | 28% | 38% | 22% | 7% | 22% | 15% | 18% | 14% |
- There have been large increases in the trust in institutions and organisations from last year.
- Trust in the following all significantly increased from last year: federal parliament (35% to 53%), state parliament (36% to 51%), local councils (43% to 53%), the Commonwealth public service (42% to 52%), the Reserve bank (49% to 60%), business groups (31% to 40%), trade unions (31% to 42%), religious organisations (27% to 35%) and political parties (22% to 33%).
- Federal and state police (68% trust) remain the most trusted institutions in the list.
Trust in Institutions
Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?
|
Total trust |
A lot of trust |
Some trust |
A little trust |
No trust |
Don’t know |
% change |
Total trust Jun 12 |
Total trust Mar 13 |
Total trust Jul 14 |
Total trust Jan 15 |
|||
|
Federal police |
68% |
27% |
41% |
19% |
7% |
6% |
na |
– |
– |
– |
– |
||
|
State police |
66% |
27% |
39% |
22% |
6% |
6% |
na |
– |
– |
– |
– |
||
|
The High Court |
61% |
23% |
38% |
23% |
9% |
7% |
+8 |
60% |
74% |
57% |
53% |
||
|
The ABC |
56% |
18% |
38% |
23% |
12% |
9% |
+3 |
54% |
70% |
54% |
53% |
||
|
The Reserve Bank |
56% |
16% |
40% |
25% |
10% |
9% |
+7 |
49% |
64% |
52% |
49% |
||
|
Charitable organisations |
46% |
9% |
37% |
36% |
10% |
7% |
+2 |
50% |
52% |
45% |
44% |
||
|
Environment groups |
40% |
9% |
31% |
35% |
17% |
8% |
+7 |
32% |
41% |
31% |
33% |
||
|
Your local council |
39% |
6% |
33% |
34% |
21% |
6% |
+7 |
na |
34% |
33% |
32% |
||
|
The Commonwealth Public Service |
35% |
5% |
30% |
39% |
13% |
12% |
+3 |
30% |
36% |
31% |
32% |
||
|
State Parliament |
32% |
5% |
27% |
32% |
28% |
7% |
+8 |
na |
30% |
24% |
24% |
||
|
Federal Parliament |
31% |
6% |
25% |
33% |
30% |
7% |
+6 |
22% |
34% |
25% |
25% |
||
|
Business groups |
28% |
2% |
26% |
42% |
19% |
10% |
+5 |
22% |
26% |
22% |
23% |
||
|
Trade unions |
26% |
3% |
23% |
32% |
32% |
11% |
+3 |
22% |
25% |
22% |
23% |
||
|
Religious organisations |
25% |
6% |
19% |
27% |
40% |
8% |
+3 |
27% |
27% |
26% |
22% |
||
|
Political parties |
16% |
1% |
15% |
37% |
40% |
7% |
+2 |
12% |
12% |
13% |
14% |
Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’
Trust in Institutions
Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?
|
Total trust |
|
A lot of trust |
Some trust |
A little trust |
No trust |
Don’t know |
% change |
|
Total trust Jun 12 |
Total trust Mar 13 |
Total trust Jul 14 |
|
| The ABC |
53% |
20% |
33% |
28% |
12% |
8% |
-1 |
54% |
70% |
54% |
||
| The High Court |
53% |
17% |
36% |
27% |
12% |
8% |
-4 |
60% |
74% |
57% |
||
| The Reserve Bank |
49% |
14% |
35% |
30% |
12% |
9% |
-3 |
49% |
64% |
52% |
||
| Charitable organisations |
44% |
7% |
37% |
36% |
13% |
7% |
-1 |
50% |
52% |
45% |
||
| Environment groups |
33% |
5% |
28% |
39% |
20% |
8% |
+2 |
32% |
41% |
31% |
||
| Your local council |
32% |
4% |
28% |
41% |
21% |
6% |
-1 |
na |
34% |
33% |
||
| The Commonwealth Public Service |
32% |
4% |
28% |
39% |
17% |
11% |
+1 |
30% |
36% |
31% |
||
| Newspapers |
30% |
3% |
27% |
43% |
20% |
6% |
– |
26% |
30% |
30% |
||
| Online news media |
27% |
3% |
24% |
43% |
22% |
8% |
+2 |
23% |
27% |
25% |
||
| Federal Parliament |
25% |
3% |
22% |
36% |
32% |
7% |
– |
22% |
34% |
25% |
||
| TV news media |
25% |
2% |
23% |
44% |
24% |
6% |
-7 |
21% |
30% |
32% |
||
| State Parliament |
24% |
3% |
21% |
37% |
32% |
7% |
– |
na |
30% |
24% |
||
| Trade unions |
23% |
4% |
19% |
34% |
35% |
9% |
+1 |
22% |
25% |
22% |
||
| Business groups |
23% |
2% |
21% |
43% |
23% |
10% |
+1 |
22% |
26% |
22% |
||
| Religious organisations |
22% |
4% |
18% |
30% |
40% |
7% |
-4 |
27% |
27% |
26% |
||
| Political parties |
14% |
1% |
13% |
35% |
45% |
6% |
+1 |
12% |
12% |
13% |
Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’
There have been few significant changes since this question was asked in July last year.
Respondents had most trust in the ABC (53%), the High Court (53%), the Reserve Bank (49%) and charitable organisations (44%). They had least trust in political parties (14%) and religious organisations (22%).
The main changes since the last poll were for TV news media (down 7% to 25%) and religious organisations (down 4% to 22%).
Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in the ABC (61%), environment groups (42%) and trade unions (33%).
Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had a little more trust in the Reserve Bank (59%), religious organisations (29%), newspapers (38%), TV news (33%), Federal Parliament (39%), State Parliament (35%) and business groups (33%).
Trust in Institutions
Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?
|
Total trust |
|
A lot of trust |
Some trust |
A little trust |
No trust |
Don’t know |
% change |
|
Total trust 12 Jun 12 |
Total trust 18 Mar 13 |
|
| The High Court |
57% |
20% |
37% |
27% |
12% |
4% |
-17 |
60% |
74% |
||
| The ABC |
54% |
18% |
36% |
29% |
13% |
5% |
-16 |
54% |
70% |
||
| The Reserve Bank |
52% |
17% |
35% |
30% |
13% |
5% |
-12 |
49% |
64% |
||
| Charitable organisations |
45% |
6% |
39% |
36% |
14% |
4% |
-7 |
50% |
52% |
||
| Your local council |
33% |
5% |
28% |
38% |
24% |
4% |
-1 |
na |
34% |
||
| TV news media |
32% |
2% |
26% |
47% |
23% |
3% |
+2 |
21% |
30% |
||
| Environment groups |
31% |
5% |
26% |
38% |
25% |
5% |
-10 |
32% |
41% |
||
| The Commonwealth Public Service |
31% |
5% |
26% |
40% |
19% |
10% |
-5 |
30% |
36% |
||
| Newspapers |
30% |
3% |
27% |
46% |
21% |
3% |
– |
26% |
30% |
||
| Religious organisations |
26% |
5% |
21% |
28% |
41% |
4% |
-1 |
27% |
27% |
||
| Federal Parliament |
25% |
4% |
21% |
33% |
39% |
3% |
-9 |
22% |
34% |
||
| Online news media |
25% |
2% |
23% |
49% |
21% |
4% |
-2 |
23% |
27% |
||
| State Parliament |
24% |
3% |
21% |
35% |
37% |
4% |
-6 |
na |
30% |
||
| Trade unions |
22% |
4% |
18% |
33% |
39% |
7% |
-3 |
22% |
25% |
||
| Business groups |
22% |
1% |
21% |
44% |
27% |
6% |
-4 |
22% |
26% |
||
| Political parties |
13% |
2% |
11% |
33% |
50% |
3% |
+1 |
12% |
12% |
Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’
Since this question was last asked in March last year, there has been a significant decline in trust in the High Court (-17%), the ABC (-16%), the Reserve Bank (-12%), environment groups (-10) and the Federal Parliament (-9). Trust in the High Court, ABC and Reserve Bank is back to similar levels to that recorded in 2012.
Respondents had most trust in the High Court (57%), the ABC (54%), the Reserve Bank (52%) and charitable organisations (45%). They had least trust in political parties (13%), trade unions (22%) and business groups (22%).
Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in the ABC (62%), environment groups (41%) and trade unions (34%).
Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had a little more trust in the Reserve Bank (62%), Federal Parliament (43%), State Parliament (36%) and business groups (32%).
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this week's ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred: 14 May 2019
In this week's report:
Essential Tags
Recent Comments
