Gallup finds members of Congress are rated the least ethical profession, with 71% of Americans saying their honesty and ethics are "low" or "very low" and only 7% rating them highly. Telemarketers scored nearly as poorly. Nurses topped the list (75% "high"/"very high"), and the average positive ethics rating across professions fell to 29% — the lowest since Gallup began tracking in 1999. The poll also reveals significant partisan divides on perceptions of several occupations.
Gallup Poll: Congress Rated Least Ethical; Telemarketers Nearly As Low — Nurses Top The List
Congress and telemarketers rank at the bottom on ethics: Gallup
A recent Gallup survey finds Americans view members of Congress as the least ethical profession measured, with broad skepticism that crosses party lines.
Key Findings
Members of Congress received the poorest ratings: 71% of respondents judged their honesty and ethical standards as "low" or "very low," while only 7% rated them "high" or "very high." Telemarketers were close behind, with 62% giving low or very low ratings and just 5% rating them highly.
At the other end of the scale, nurses topped the rankings: 75% of respondents rated nurses' ethics as "high" or "very high." Only three other groups earned majority high ratings: military veterans (67%), medical doctors (57%) and pharmacists (53%).
Partisan Differences
Gallup’s data show partisan divides for several occupations. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents rated police officers, military veterans and clergy more positively, while Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents gave higher marks to high school teachers, journalists and labor union leaders. The largest partisan gaps were for:
- Police officers: Republicans were 34 percentage points more likely than Democrats to rate their ethics as "high" or "very high."
- High school teachers: Democrats were 40 percentage points more likely than Republicans to give high ratings.
Trust Over Time
Gallup reports a long-term erosion of confidence in professions. The average positive ethics rating across 11 professions now stands at 29% — the lowest level in Gallup’s series going back to 1999. In the early 2000s, the same average was commonly 40% or higher, suggesting a notable decline in public trust over the past two decades.
Full Rankings (Percent Rating Ethics "Very High" or "High")
- Nurses: 75%
- Military veterans: 67%
- Medical doctors: 57%
- Pharmacists: 53%
- High school teachers: 50%
- Police officers: 37%
- Accountants: 35%
- Funeral directors: 32%
- Journalists: 28%
- Clergy: 27%
- Labor union leaders: 27%
- Building contractors: 21%
- Bankers: 20%
- Lawyers: 20%
- Real estate agents: 17%
- Business executives: 10%
- Advertising practitioners: 10%
- Stockbrokers: 9%
- Car salespeople: 7%
- Members of Congress: 7%
- Telemarketers: 5%
Methodology
The Gallup results are based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR from Dec. 1-15, 2025, with a random sample of 1,016 U.S. adults (age 18+) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For the total sample, the margin of sampling error is ±4.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level; reported margins include computed design effects for weighting.
What This Means
The survey highlights persistent public distrust in some professions, particularly elected officials and sales-driven occupations, while reaffirming strong public confidence in health-care workers and military veterans. The widening partisan gaps for certain professions also suggest political polarization plays a role in shaping perceptions of ethical behavior.
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