Explaining Popular Trust in the Department of Homeland Security

Research reveals that levels of reported trust in government are at a relatively low level–among the lowest in the period studied. At the same time, reported approval for specific administrative agencies varies widely, with some agencies receiving little support and others a great deal. This raises an important question: what factors drive trust in specific agencies? This article investigates the question in relation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We find that reported assessments of DHS are driven by political attitudes, policy salience, religiosity, and demographic characteristics, even when controlling for trust in government in general.