While carefully selected elite students at elite universities acting with appropriate elite behavior, throw sometimes violent temper tantrums to diminish freedom of choice by demanding the removal of ROTC and military recruitment on their elite campuses, most Americans have a great deal of confidence in the military. 

Public confidence in the military jumped following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and has remained consistently high, Gallup officials noted. The 2002 survey reflected a 13 percent increase in confidence in the military over the previous year's poll. The public expressed a 79 percent high—confidence rate in the military in 2002, an 82 percent rate in 2003, and a 75 percent rate in 2004.

This year's 74 percent confidence level exceeded that of all 15 institutions included in the 2005 survey. Police ranked second, with 63 percent of responders expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in them. Organized religion rated third, with 53 percent of responders expressing high confidence, and banks rated a 49 percent high—confidence rate.

So much for elite students at elite universities being part of the mainstream of American society.  Not that they would want to of course.  Do you think they trust the police?

As for those institutions Americans had the least confidence in, well, you certainly can predict most of them.

Health maintenance organizations bottomed out the list, with just 17 percent of responders expressing high confidence in them. Big business and Congress tied for the second— and third—lowest rankings, with 22 percent of responders expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in them.

The Gallup organization noted that public trust in television news and newspapers reached an all—time low this year, with 28 percent of responders expressing high confidence in them.

Mainstream America and elite students probably basically agree with this ranking.  How reassuring.

Ethel C. Fenig   6 5 05