Among the public overall, majorities say the federal government should have a major role in dealing with 12 of 13 issues included in the survey, all except advancing space exploration. Yet both Republicans and Democrats favor significant government involvement on an array of specific issues. Fully 80% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they prefer a smaller government with fewer services, compared with just 31% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

The partisan divide over the size and scope of government remains as wide as ever: Support for smaller government endures as a Republican touchstone. This report was made possible by The Pew Charitable Trusts, which received support for the survey from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The study builds upon previous reports about the governmentвЂ™s role and performance in 20. Yet at the same time, most Americans have a lengthy to-do list for this object of their frustration: Majorities want the federal government to have a major role in addressing issues ranging from terrorism and disaster response to education and the environment.ДЄnd most Americans like the way the federal government handles many of these same issues, though they are broadly critical of its handling of others вЂ“ especially poverty and immigration.ДЄ new national survey by Pew Research Center, based on more than 6,000 interviews conducted between August 27 and October 4, 2015, finds that public attitudes about government and politics defy easy categorization. And elected officials are held in such low regard that 55% of the public says вЂњordinary AmericansвЂќ would do a better job of solving national problems.

Only 20% would describe government programs as being well-run. A year ahead of the presidential election, the American public is deeply cynical about government, politics and the nationвЂ™s elected leaders in a way that has become quite familiar.Д¬urrently, just 19% say they can trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest levels in the past half-century.

Today show november 11 2015