# Nearly 90% Agree? *Notes & Observations on the Accidental Triumph of Bipartisanship* By [Civics Unhinged](https://paragraph.com/@civicsunhinged), 2026-09-02 corruption & patronage, trump-era governance, democratic norms, civics unhinged, mr. dunneagin speaks --- Editor's Note: _Nearly 90% Agree?_ is an installment of Notes & Observations. A record share of Americans now believe corruption is widespread in the federal government, with distrust at its highest level in two decades. And the partisan shift is remarkable: among Democrats, the share saying corruption is widespread rose from 57% in 2024 to 76% in 2025 to 91% this year. Do you realize what an extraordinary accomplishment that is in contemporary America? We can't get 90 percent of Americans to agree that it's Wednesday. We can't get 90 percent to agree on whether the economy is good, whether the country is headed in the right direction, whether the president is doing a good job, whether Congress is doing any job, or probably whether a hot dog is a sandwich. But apparently government corruption has finally accomplished what decades of politicians promised and failed to deliver: bipartisanship. That's noteworthy. ### At Last, Bipartisanship For years, Americans have complained that Washington cannot bring the country together. Apparently, Washington was listening. A new Gallup poll finds that nearly 90 percent of Americans believe corruption in the federal government is widespread—the highest level of distrust in two decades. This is remarkable. We cannot get 90 percent of Americans to agree that the sky is blue without somebody demanding to see the original meteorological data. But corruption? At last, common ground. Democrats think the government is corrupt. Republicans think the government is corrupt. Independents presumably think both parties are corrupt and are wondering why it took everybody else so long. Perhaps we have been looking at bipartisanship all wrong. For decades, politicians have tried commissions, bipartisan committees, blue-ribbon panels, unity speeches and occasional lunches in which senators from opposing parties bravely consumed carbohydrates together. None of it worked. Then Washington discovered the solution: Give nearly everybody a reason not to trust it. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one thoroughly suspicious electorate. — Dunneagin 📬 **To receive each new essay by email the day it publishes,** [**subscribe to Civics Unhinged**](https://paragraph.com/@civicsunhinged)**.** ☕ **Reader editions and collected volumes—including Volumes 1, 2, 3, and _The Liar’s Guide to Autocracy_—are available on the** [**Fourthwall bookshelf**](https://f-p-dunneagin-shop.fourthwall.com)**.** If this week’s dispatch aligned with your reading, forward it to an un-unhinged colleague who still keeps an eye on the clockwork. _Reader and listener correspondence is always welcome at_ [_dunneagin@dunneagin.net_](mailto:dunneagin@dunneagin.net)_. Questions, observations, or a note on how you first stumbled into the chronicle are particularly appreciated._ _A note on the shelf: Every Tuesday dispatch compiles toward a permanent, physical record. We print what the screen forgets._ --- *Originally published on [Civics Unhinged](https://paragraph.com/@civicsunhinged/nearly-90-percent-agree)*