Congress' approval rating the lowest it has been since Gallup first tracked public opinion of Congress with th

Question

August 21, 2007
Congress Approval Rating Matches Historical Low
Just 18% approve of job Congress is doing

by Jeffrey M. Jones
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds Congress' approval rating the lowest it has been since Gallup first tracked public opinion of Congress with this measure in 1974. Just 18% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, while 76% disapprove, according to the August 13-16, 2007, Gallup Poll.
That 18% job approval rating matches the low recorded in March 1992, when a check-bouncing scandal was one of several scandals besetting Congress, leading many states to pass term limits measures for U.S. representatives (which the Supreme Court later declared unconstitutional). Congress had a similarly low 19% approval rating during the energy crisis in the summer of 1979.
Americans' evaluations of the job Congress is doing are usually not that positive -- the vast majority of historical approval ratings have been below 50%. The high point was 84% approval one month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when Americans rallied behind the federal government. Since then, Congress' approval ratings have generally exhibited the same downward trajectory seen in those for President George W. Bush. Currently, 32% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing as president, a far cry from the record-high 90% he received in September 2001. Bush's current job approval rating is just three percentage points above his lowest.
There was a slight interruption in the downward trend in congressional approval ratings at the beginning of this year when party control changed hands from the Republicans to the Democrats following last fall's midterm elections. In January 2007, 35% of Americans approved of Congress, a significant increase from the 21% who approved of Congress in December 2006. That December rating tied the lowest in the 12 years the Republicans controlled Congress from 1995 to 2006.
But that "honeymoon" period for the new Democratically controlled Congress was brief, as its job ratings dropped below 30% in March 2007 and have now fallen below where they were just before the Democrats took over.

Answer 1

Approval rating for the Democratic Party by itself though is around 44%, a fact often skipped over by people who constantly ask this question, which BTW I don't see a question being asked here.

Answer 2

What was the question?

It shouldn't surprise you that Congress will CONSISTANTLY have a lower rating than the President, because Congress is really just a special case of committee. Who likes a committee?

The whole idea of the beast is to handle issues democratically, whereas the President (within his realm of power) acts unilaterally. The President is always going to appear more coordinated because he only ever needs to coordinate with himself.

In any case, this Congress is stymied by the large non-majority of Republicans in the Senate. If that were not so, it would appear more coordinated.

I didn't say "Right". I said "more coordinated."

Personally (though I am a liberal), I firmly believe that the Senate's inate slowing of legislation has been to the country's benefit.

Answer 3

Based on what they are Not doing to Protect Americans that are native to the country and still trying to pass HB1 visas on the sneak in other Bills and Amnesty for illegals will keep their ratings low and Americans Will boot them all out next year in favor of candidates that want to keep the United States a Sovereign nation!

Answer 4

I don't see a question here.
But I will give you my viewpoint anyway:
Congress' rating will stay low while Republicans continue to block progress and legislation.
But, the American people have seen through their tactics, (let's do nothing and blame it on the 'Democrat controlled Congress') as we will see in '08.
Landslide for the Dems, with a strong mandate for a Democrat President.

Answer 5

Funny - the lowest rating in recent memory was the GOP Congress in Oct 06 at 16%......

Answer 6

Guess this is the Dems Mission accomplished. HAHAHA

They got Congress and ran it right into the ground, good job.

Answer 7

I wish our guys in congress had higher approval ratings than those dems :(

Answer 8

No surprise, they've done nothing to bring our troops home, have done nothing to stop bush from spying on Americans, have joined bush in illegal immigration, and lastly have done nothing to investigate bush for crimes regarding the run-up to the Iraq war.

Congress's low approval is directly tied to them placating bush.

Answer 9

Uh Oh but but but Its Bush's fault The libs never take responsibility for their on actions Need examples Kennedy Studds Mills Byrd Hillary and her cousin Bill and many many others

Answer 10

and your question is.......

i have one for you. why do 28% of idiots still support the decider and his policies that are making our country less safe and more prone to terrorism.... oh and resulting in deaths everyday over in IRAQ????