Pew’s new poll on public views of various government agencies finds that a lot of agencies are viewed favorably by the majority of Americans—including the NSA, CDC, CIA, and VA.
The IRS, however, is the one agency with a favorable-view percentage below 50 percent—no surprise here.
Some of the most interesting numbers come from views of the NSA. Overall, 51 percent view the agency favorably, and 37 percent unfavorably. Democrats are bigger fans than Republicans—58 to 47 percent. (The CIA is the only agency that Republicans favor more than Democrats—64 to 46 percent.)
And millennials—generally thought to distrust institutions—have more favorable views of the NSA than any other generation. 61 percent of 18-29 years view the NSA favorably. That number dwindles down to 55 percent within the 30-49 age group, and down further, to 40 percent, among those 65 and older.
Millennials were also the most likely to approve of the IRS, with 53 percent viewing it favorably.
Other findings: Although the Department of Veterans Affairs has been mired in scandal in recent years, it still eked out a 52 percent favorability rating, opposed to 38 percent unfavorable. That’s a significant drop, however, from 2013, when 68 percent viewed it favorably and just 25 percent unfavorably.
The CDC and NASA were the most popular agencies surveyed, with 70 percent and 68 percent favorable views, respectively.
