Fewer than one in 10 Americans believe their government in Washington, D.C., is “open and honest” about how it spends their tax dollars. That?s perhaps the most disturbing result of the Association of Government Accountants? recent survey, “Public Attitudes to Government Accountability and Transparency 2008.” The survey asked 1,652 adults their views on the federal government?s financial management, accessibility and accountability to taxpayers. The results offer a vivid portrait of a yawning credibility gap:

» Three out of four respondents say it is extremely or very important to them that they get financial management information from the federal government, but only 5 percent say they are satisfied with the official information they receive now.