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85% of Americans unhappy with Congress: Poll

Republican congressmen applaud as US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives January 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by AFP)

A majority of Americans, regardless of party allegiance, disapprove of the US Congress, a fresh poll shows.

The new poll, published by the Associated Press-NORC Center on Monday, revealed that a total of 85 percent of Americans believe the Congress’s job is below average.

It also found that the number of Democrats that held an unfavorable view of Congress, 89 percent, is only seven percentage points higher than that of Republicans, at 82 percent.

The poll also revealed that only 44 percent of Americans approve of the work their own Congressman or Congresswoman is doing on Capitol Hill, 41 percent of Democrats and half of GOPs.

“Large majorities in both parties report lawmakers should pay attention to the majority of Americans but believe lawmakers actually pay attention to donors and elites. Rare in 2018, both self-identified Republicans and Democrats agree,” Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC

According to the survey, the part of the population most catered-for by the lawmakers are the lobbyists that “gave money to last election campaign.”

Sixty-six percent of Americans believe that Congress actually pays attention to lobbyists, while only 11 percent agree it should be like that.

The NORC poll was conducted between 15 and 19 February.

Trump's approval rating is lower than his three immediate predecessors – Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton -- at the same point in their time in the White House.

The previous low was held by former President Obama, whose lowest first-year number stood 14 points higher than Trump’s, at 49 percent. Trump is 12 behind the previous low mark of 47 percent set by former Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1982 and Jimmy Carter in early 1978.


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