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Gallup: Congress job approval at 13%

Wednesday, 15 January 2014 9:49 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 14 September 2017 6:24 PM ]

Americans continue to hold Congress in low esteem

Only thirteen percent of Americans approve of the job the US Congress is doing, far below the historic average of 33 percent, according to a new Gallup poll.

Congressional approval has rarely been 20 percent or higher in the last three years and Americans continue to hold Congress in low esteem, Gallup said.

“Divided party control of Congress is likely one major factor in Congress' depressed ratings in recent years. A Republican majority in the House of Representatives and a Democratic majority in the Senate have led to partisan gridlock, with the two houses of Congress usually at odds on how to deal with the major issues facing the country,” it said.

Gallup also asked Americans to assess the job John Boehner is doing as speaker of the House of Representatives. Boehner is the highest-ranking Republican in Congress and in the federal government.

The poll found that about twice as many Americans disapprove of the job Boehner is doing (53%) as approve (28%).

A separate Gallup poll released on Monday shows that a majority of Americans remain dissatisfied with the way things are going in the US at this time.

Just 23 percent of Americans said they are satisfied with the way things are going, unchanged from December and within one percentage point of the 24 percent average for 2013.

The continuing federal budget deficit, persistently high unemployment, and Congressional gridlock in recent years have contributed to the low satisfaction ratings.

AHT/ARA

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