ROCHESTER, NY – OCTOBER 20, 2021 – Polling results released today by Crux Research indicate that just 17% of U.S. adults have “very high trust” or “high trust” in pollsters/polling organizations.

Just 21% of U.S. adults felt that polling organizations did an “excellent” or “good” job in predicting the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. 40% of adults who were polled in the 2020 election felt the poll they responded to was biased.

Trust in pollsters is higher among Democrats than it is among Republicans and Independents. Pollster trust is highest among adults under 30 years old and lowest among those over 50. This variability can contribute to the challenges pollsters face, as cooperation with polls may also vary among these groups.

It has been a difficult stretch of time for pollsters. 51% of Americans feel that Presidential election polls are getting less accurate over time. And, just 12% are confident that polling organizations will correctly predict the next President in 2024.

The poll results show that there are trusted institutions and professions in America. Nurses are the most trusted profession, followed by medical doctors and pharmacists. Telemarketers, car salespersons, social media companies, Members of Congress, and advertising agencies are the least trusted professions.

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Methodology

This poll was conducted online between October 6 and October 17, 2021. The sample size was 1,198 U.S. adults (aged 18 and over). Quota sampling and weighting were employed to ensure that respondent proportions for age group, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and region matched their actual proportions in the population.   

This poll did not have a sponsor and was conducted and funded by Crux Research, an independent market research firm that is not in any way associated with political parties, candidates, or the media.

All surveys and polls are subject to many sources of error. The term “margin of error” is misleading for online polls, which are not based on a probability sample which is a requirement for margin of error calculations. If this study did use probability sampling, the margin of error would be +/-3%.

About Crux Research Inc.

Crux Research partners with clients to develop winning products and services, build powerful brands, create engaging marketing strategies, enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, improve products and services, and get the most out of their advertising.

Using quantitative and qualitative methods, Crux connects organizations with their customers in a wide range of industries, including health care, education, consumer goods, financial services, media and advertising, automotive, technology, retail, business-to-business, and non-profits.

Crux connects decision makers with customers, uses data to inspire new thinking, and assures clients they are being served by experienced, senior level researchers who set the standard for customer service from a survey research and polling consultant. To learn more about Crux Research, visit www.cruxresearch.com.