Americans’ confidence in the police increased eight percentage points over the past year to 51%, the largest year-over-year change in public perceptions of 17 major U.S. institutions measured in Gallup’s 2024 annual update.
The American public rates many institutions harshly. There are a wide variety of institutions and professions that are taking a beating. Policing does relatively well in Gallup (2025) and other reports of citizen satisfaction.
The overall use of “or” threat of force (all encounters) was at 2 percent, per repeated US Department of Justice polls. With additional positive polling data, it seems that most police officers are trying to interact with the American public respectfully, which is why confidence and trust are so high for law enforcement and so low for other institutions (i.e., Congress, journalism).
A reader is interested in ratings of American law enforcement. He questions a January 2025 Gallup report and my article reporting on a July 2024 Gallup report about possible conflicting results.
Last year’s Gallup Report on July 15, 2024, titled U.S. Confidence in Institutions Mostly Flat, But Police Up gave law enforcement a rating of 43 percent in 2023 and 51 percent in 2024 based on a perception of “A Great Deal/Quite A Lot.” Ratings of cops went up considerably.
In the new Gallup Report released on January 13, 2025, titled Americans’ Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low, police were given a rating of 45 percent in 2023 and 44 percent in 2025 based on perceptions of “High/Very High.”
The reader asked why the results appear to contradict each other.
The Explanation
When it comes to public trust in law enforcement, numbers matter — and they often tell different stories depending on how the question is asked. Two recent Gallup reports offer what appear to be conflicting statistics about Americans’ views of the police.
In reality, they are measuring different things.
In Gallup’s January 13, 2025, report, “Americans’ Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low,” 44% of Americans said they rated the honesty and ethical standards of police officers as “high” or “very high.” That number was 45% in 2023. On the surface, this suggests public perception of the police hasn’t improved.
However, in a different Gallup report from July 15, 2024, “U.S. Confidence in Institutions Mostly Flat, But Police Up,” 51% of Americans said they had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the institution of the police — a notable increase from 43% in 2023.
So which is it? Are Americans more confident in law enforcement or not?
Two Questions, Two Interpretations
The answer lies in the methodology. Gallup conducts multiple surveys each year using different criteria:
The “Honesty and Ethics” poll asks how Americans view the personal character and moral behavior of people in various professions. This includes police officers, but also nurses, teachers, and members of Congress. This survey focuses on individuals within a profession.
The “Confidence in Institutions” poll, on the other hand, measures how much trust Americans have in large organizations such as the military, Supreme Court, news media, and yes — the police. This survey captures how people feel about the institution as a whole.
The difference in wording matters. Some might believe that police officers are not always honest on an individual level (thus giving a lower rating) but still believe the institution plays a crucial role in maintaining law and order (thus giving a high confidence score).
Why It Matters
These two measures — while related — often tell different parts of the story. That’s especially important in times of heightened debate about policing. Policymakers, media, and the public should be aware of how questions are asked before concluding trust or distrust.
So, if you see polls saying public trust in police is up — or down — check the fine print. The numbers may be accurate, but the story behind them could be more nuanced than it seems.
My Article-July 2024-Law Enforcement As An Institution-Measuring Confidence
My article at U.S. Confidence In American Policing Dramatically Improves offered the following based on a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the institution of the police
Per Gallup, the average confidence in US institutions remains historically low, at 28%. But for law enforcement, Americans’ confidence in the police increased eight percentage points over the past year to 51%, the largest year-over-year change in public perceptions of 17 major U.S. institutions measured in Gallup’s annual update.
Faith in the police fell in 2020 to 48% after George Floyd was murdered while in police custody. After increasing to 51% in 2021, confidence in the police dropped again in 2022 and dipped further to a record low of 43%.
Over the past year, confidence in the police has risen among most major demographic subgroups of Americans, particularly three that previously expressed lower levels of confidence in the police: those aged 18 to 34, people of color, and political independents.
There is information in the article regarding additional ratings of law enforcement that are mostly positive. If you are interested in the topic, you should read the article.
There were 17 American institutions rated, and the police came in third. Considering everything law enforcement has been through in recent years, that’s a remarkable accomplishment.
The overwhelming majority of those polled expressed favorable views of the law enforcement institution if you include “a great deal,” “quite a lot” or “some” regarding confidence.
The 2025 Gallup Report Measuring Professions Measuring Honesty and Ethics of Professions Ratings
The new Gallup Report released on January 13, 2025, titled Americans’ Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low, based on perceptions of “High/Very High” police were given a rating of 45 percent in 2023 and 44 percent in 2025 based on how Americans view the personal character and moral behavior of people in various professions.
Three in four Americans consider nurses highly honest and ethical, making them the most trusted of 23 professions rated in Gallup’s annual measurement. Grade-school teachers rank second, with 61% viewing them highly, while military officers, pharmacists, and medical doctors also earn high trust from the majority of Americans.
The least trusted professions, with more than half of U.S. adults saying their ethics are low or very low, are lobbyists, members of Congress, and TV reporters.
Of the remaining occupations measured in the Dec. 2-18, 2024, poll, six (including police officers, clergy, and judges) are viewed more positively than negatively by Americans, although with positive ratings not reaching the majority level.
The other nine, notably including bankers, lawyers, and business executives, are seen more negatively than positively, with no more than 50% rating their ethics low.
The bottom line of the rankings is that the law enforcement profession beat 14 of the 23 professions, including the clergy, bankers, the media, and members of Congress.
The law enforcement profession received an overall score of 79 if you include ”High/Very High/Average.”
Conclusions
As debates about policing continue, understanding how public opinion is measured — and what it really reflects — is more important than ever.
First, understand that the American public rates many institutions harshly. There are a wide variety of institutions and professions that are taking a beating.
Cops and the law enforcement profession rank well, especially when compared to others.
There will always be controversy as to interactions with law enforcement. From my years in policing, it’s literally impossible to say and do the right things in every interaction. Whenever you mix over a million police employees with 50-60 million yearly contacts, things will inevitably go wrong. It’s the same for medicine, journalism, business, or any other profession.
But it’s safe to say, based on the above and additional polling data, that most police interactions are positive, which seems almost impossible considering the nature of the job.
All polls state that groups, regardless of demographics, want police in their communities.
Per Gallup, North American law enforcement is near the top of worldwide rankings.
With the overall use “or” threat of force (all encounters) at 2 percent, per repeated US Department of Justice polling, and with additional positive polling data, it seems that most police officers are trying to interact with the American public respectfully, which is why confidence and trust are so high for law enforcement and so low for other institutions (i.e., Congress, journalism).
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