Americans Trust Their Doctors More Than Federal Health Agencies—Maybe It’s Time Public Health Policy Reflected That

Jeffrey A. Singer

A new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania finds that Americans make a clear distinction between career scientists and the political leaders running federal health agencies. While roughly two-thirds of respondents express confidence in agency scientists, far fewer trust the agencies’ political leadership.

The survey also shows that trust in major federal health agencies has declined, dropping from roughly three-quarters...