Few Americans Associate Elected Leaders With Courage, Gallup Survey Finds
A newly published Gallup survey found that 4% of Americans most associated courage with elected officials, placing them level with social media influencers. Respondents chose from 16 categories of people, including first responders and scientists, when asked which groups they linked most closely with courage.
Four percent of Americans said they most associated courage with elected officials, according to newly published results from a Gallup survey reported by The Hill. The figure tied elected officials with social media influencers in the poll.
The survey asked respondents to select the category of people they most associated with courage. Participants were given a list of 16 groups from which to choose.
The listed categories included first responders and scientists, although the supplied source does not provide the results for those or the other categories. The source also does not identify the number of respondents or provide a breakdown by demographic group.
Gallup released the poll on Wednesday, according to The Hill. The supplied records do not state when the survey was conducted, how the question was worded beyond the described selection prompt, or which category received the highest share.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What factors shaped respondents’ associations between courage and the listed categories?
How might the wording of the survey question have affected the result?
What differences, if any, would appear across demographic or political groups?
Why were elected officials and social media influencers associated with courage at the same rate?
How might the result change if respondents could select more than one category?
YOUR QUESTION
Does this story leave you with another question?
Send us the question the report did not answer. It may become the next question IAQ investigates.
GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026