Featured June 27, 2024 Partnership’s 2024 Trust Summit explores the value of a nonpartisan civil service Back to Blog Not too different: Almost one-half of Americans say people like them work in the federal government Date September 26, 2024 Authors Paul Hitlin Tags Workforce The demographics of the 2 million civil servants who work in the federal workforce are fairly representative of the country as a whole. Emphasizing this fact may be one way to improve public views of the government. When asked directly, about half of Americans believe they are at least somewhat represented in the federal workforce. A national survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service in spring 2024 found that 47% of U.S. adults agree that “people like me” work in the federal government, a 13-point increase from 2022. The most recent percentages resemble those from 2021, when 44% of Americans agreed that people like them work in the federal government. The Partnership will continue to ask this question in future surveys to determine if the 2022 dip is an outlier—or if the changes over time are part of a more complex trend. Results by demographic group Most—but not all—demographic groups have become more likely to see themselves in the federal government over the past two years. The percentages of Democrats and independents increased by at least 20 points. By contrast, the percent of Republicans who agree rose just 4 points—from 31% to 35%. In the most recent survey, people who self-identify as part of certain racial or ethnic groups are more likely to say that people like them work in the government than those who identify as white. More than one-half of those who identify as black or African American—58%—and Hispanic or Latino—51%—say people like them work in the federal government, compared with 44% of whites. Having a civil service that is representative of the population it serves is important for many reasons. It is critical to providing a good customer experience, meeting the needs of diverse groups, and recruiting and retaining a talented workforce. The growing view that the civil service represents the population and that people “like me” already work in the government is a message that should be amplified by those inside and outside the federal space. Explore our latest research report and programming on public trust in government. Paul Hitlin manages research for the Partnership's Center for Presidential Transition and also helps lead the Partnership's research on public trust of the federal government.
