Civic life, news, and public trust
Core finding
Adults reported low direct political participation and limited network-news trust, but the attitudes underneath did not reduce to a single anti-politics position.
About 71% had never donated to a political campaign, and 90% had not participated in a demonstration in the last 12 months. Trust in network news was more mixed: 56% said they trusted it some or a lot, while 44% said not too much or not at all.
Most adults had not donated to a campaign
Roughly 71% said they had never donated to a political campaign. About 26% said they had donated, and 3% were not sure.
That makes campaign donation a minority behavior rather than a broad form of political participation.
Topline
71% had never donated to a political campaign.
n = 1,000 · Apr 19–27, 2023 · MoE ±3.6%
Recent demonstration participation was rare
About 90% said they had not participated in a demonstration in the last 12 months. Roughly 9% said they had, and 1% preferred not to answer.
The participation measures point in the same direction: formal campaign donation and recent protest participation were both limited.
Headline
90% had not participated in a demonstration in the last 12 months.
n = 1,000 · Apr 19–27, 2023 · MoE ±3.6%
Network news trust was limited, not absent
About 42% said they trust information from network news organizations some, and 14% said a lot. Another 24% said not too much, and 20% said not at all.
A related majority-rule statement also drew more disagreement than agreement. Roughly 45% disagreed at least somewhat that the majority should get what it wants no matter what the minority wants, while 30% agreed at least somewhat.
Stacked breakdown
44% trusted network news not too much or not at all.
n = 1,000 · Apr 19–27, 2023 · MoE ±3.6%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | United States adults who completed both waves of the survey |
| Field dates | Apr 19–27, 2023 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.6% |
| Module | MPSA 2023 Omnibus Survey #2023-032 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- verasight-mpsa-2023.tiiny.co
Have you ever donated to a political campaign?
- verasight-mpsa-2023.tiiny.co
Have you participated in a demonstration in the last 12 months?
- verasight-mpsa-2023.tiiny.co
How much, if at all, do you trust the information you get from network news organizations (e.g., ABC, CBS, NBC)?
- verasight-mpsa-2023.tiiny.co
Please rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: In politics, the majority should get what it wants — no matter what the minority wants.
Cite this topic
MPSA 2023 Omnibus Survey #2023-032, fielded April 19-27, 2023, N=1,000 United States adults who completed both waves of the survey, +/- 3.6%.