Reputation Institute conducted an online survey of nearly 33,000 U.S. consumers in the first quarter of 2011. It measured customer perceptions of many of the 150 largest businesses in the U.S., those that people were either "somewhat" or "very" familiar with, Forbes writes.

Each company earned a "pulse" score of 0 to 100 that placed a numerical value on people's feelings toward the firm. Reputation Institute also factored in other elements of a company's credibility, including citizenship, leadership, innovation, products, and financial performance.

Amazon's pulse score was 82.70, which was 1.30 points higher than second-place Kraft Foods. Google came in ninth with 79.25.

So what makes Amazon so special? The online retailer is innovative, responds quickly and responsibly to , and stays ahead of the technological curve, the survey reveals. Consumers trust Amazon and its third-party vendors, and value the firm's product-recommendation system. They also admire Amazon for its inventive projects, including the Kindle e-reader, , and .

Here are America's 10 most reputable companies (via Forbes):