A recent Harris Poll found that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among the most well recognized and trusted organizations in Washington, DC.

Of 2,429 people sampled, 78% said they are familiar with the Chamber and 71% said they trust it. These figures are higher than in 2005, when 76% said they were familiar with the Chamber and 70% said they trusted it.

Support for the Chamber is bipartisan, with 83% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats indicating they trust it.

The American Red Cross, AARP, and The Nature Conservancy are among the other organizations receiving favorable rankings. "These organizations have a great deal of influence, affecting many public policy discussions in and around the nation's capital," according to a Harris Interactive® press release.

Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue says, "These results show that the American people depend on the U.S. Chamber to protect free enterprise and help create an environment in which entrepreneurs feel comfortable taking risks, innovating, and creating jobs."

Respondents ranked the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) among the least trusted of the 14 organizations measured.

Of the two-thirds who reported familiarity with the ACLU, just over half do not trust it. The ACLU also had the highest response for "do not trust at all" at 29%. Only a slight majority of the 67% who are familiar with the AFL-CIO trust it.

The poll also found that most of the 14 organizations saw a decline in familiarity since 2005-except for the Chamber, whose familiarity increased by two percentage points.

The poll was conducted online between November 13 and 20, 2006. For more information, go to www.uschamber.com/goto/harris.