Three quarters of people questioned in the survey think that modern-day federal officials are not honest, a figure that is essentially unchanged since 1994. But the poll suggests that Americans think the problem of dishonesty is not a new one.

And it’s not just George Washington. 71 percent think that Abraham Lincoln, known as “Honest Abe,” also lied to the public while serving in the White House.

“It’s all part of a rich tradition in American history – the belief that politicians are not always telling the truth,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.