Americans less confident than ever in major U.S. institutions

Americans are expressing an all-time low in overall confidence in major U.S. institutions, with less than 30% of Americans feeling confident in the residence, the Supreme Court, the criminal justice system and other pillars of American society, according to a Gallup poll.

With 68% confidence, Americans expressed the most positive feelings toward small business, but even that number is down 2% from last year, the poll released Tuesday shows.

Just 64% of Americans are confident in the military, down 5% from 2021, following President Joe Biden's chaotic withdrawal from Afghansistan and accusations of "wokeness" in the armed services.

As President Biden lost 15 points in his approval rating, 15% less Americans expressed confidence in the presidency, going from 38% to 23% in one year.

Americans also lost confidence in the Supreme Court (35% in 2021 to 25% in 2022). Voters were surveyed in late June before the court's controversial abortion ruling.

Institutions with a less than 20% confidence level include newspapers, the criminal justice system, big business, television news and, at the very bottom, Congress, which stands at 7%.

The poll comes one week after another Gallup survey showed that a record-low number of U.S. adults report that they feel "extremely proud" to be an American.