Evaluating Credibility in Washington

Every day, federal policymakers evaluate information from companies, trade associations, advocacy organizations, researchers, academics, and other stakeholders. Drawing on insights from more than 2,000 federal policymakers and senior staff, this report examines how policymakers assess corporations, navigate the 2026 policy agenda, and determine which information sources deserve their attention.

The findings reveal five distinct patterns across the research: Corporate credibility is tied closely to institutional behavior. Policymakers place greater weight on business ethics, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and research quality when assessing corporate reputation. Traditional engagement activities, including communications, executive visibility, partnerships, and lobbying, play a different role and are less closely associated with underlying credibility.

Credibility signals differ across political audiences. Democratic policymakers place comparatively greater weight on institutional factors such as business ethics, research quality, and social responsibility. Republican policymakers place relatively greater emphasis on engagement-oriented signals, including grassroots activity, third-party support, and traditional advocacy.

The economy dominates the 2026 policy agenda. 64% of policymakers identify the economy among the nation’s three most pressing issues, ahead of healthcare at 46%, national security and foreign policy at 35%, and artificial intelligence at 33%. Among those prioritizing the economy, cost of living and inflation emerge as leading concerns.

Growth and regulatory scrutiny are advancing together. Policymakers expect significant growth across digital platforms, software, artificial intelligence, fintech, and energy infrastructure. Several rapidly evolving sectors also attract calls for greater oversight, while artificial intelligence ranks as the leading policy area identified for additional federal regulation.

Information habits reveal both common ground and important differences. News remains policymakers’ leading resource for learning, with established outlets among the most trusted overall. Beneath those topline results, differences across political and institutional audiences reveal important variation in how policymakers navigate information.