Nearly half of Americans believe the government is run mostly by corrupt officials
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from September 25 to 30, 2026. 46.8% of Americans think most or all of the officials running the government are corrupt, and 36.3% say some are. Just 0.4% say none are.
A few officials are corrupt for 10.9%, and 5.5% are unsure. All of them are corrupt for 6.8%. This measures belief about corruption, not evidence of it.
Topline distribution
Nearly half of Americans believe the government is run mostly by corrupt officials.
How many public officials running the government are corrupt?
n = 1,000 · Sep 25–30, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Sep 25–30, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Democracy, Politics, & Participation |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report
How many public officials running the government are corrupt?
Cite this question
APSA Omnibus Survey #2026-153, fielded September 25-30, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.