(Newswire.net — May 8, 2013) New York, NY — Reader’s Digest released it’s “100 Most Trusted People in America” Poll this week.
“The poll results were fascinating, fun and shocking. We trust because it feels good, but putting our faith in the wrong place often carries a high price,” said Liz Vaccariello, Reader’s Digest editor-in-chief and chief content officer.
Working with research firm The Wagner Group, Reader’s Digest polled more than 1,000 Americans to discover “which individuals and the ideals they represent have earned our confidence.”
The list was compiled of more than 200 American opinion shapers, leaders and headline makers from 15 highly influential professions. A representative sample of adults living in the United States was asked to rank each name on how trustworthy they thought each individual was.
Trustworthiness was determined by integrity and character, exceptional talent, drive to personal excellence, internal moral compass, message, honesty and leadership.
Americans trusted Clint Eastwood more than President Barack Obama. Eastwood ranked No. 13 while Obama ranked No. 65 on the list.
Other politicos on the list who each ranked above Obama: First lady Michelle Obama at No. 19; former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at No. 23; former President Jimmy Carter at No. 24; former Secretary of State Colin Powell at No. 32; and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at No. 51.
The top five spots went to Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and Maya Angelou, in that order.
There were three professions that came out on top as extremely or very trustworthy: 77%* of respondents named their personal doctors, followed by their spiritual advisors (71%), and their children’s current teachers (66%). These three scorers are not included in the list, which focuses on American public figures.