President Obama’s approval rating, like the national economy, has steadily improved recently. Those on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue aren’t nearly as fortunate.
A record-low 10% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, down from 13% in January and the previous low of 11%, recorded in December 2011. Eighty-six percent disapprove of Congress, tying the record high for disapproval set in December. […]
Democrats’ and Republicans’ approval of Congress are equally low, at 11% and 12%, respectively, while 8% of independents approve.
Gallup published this chart to help drive the point home.
This is, of course, only one survey, but as poll watchers know, these results are not at all unusual. Every major national report in recent months shows Congress’ approval rating dropping to levels unseen since the dawn of modern polling.
The legislative branch in Washington has never been an especially popular institution, but there’s ample evidence to suggest Americans are currently suffering through the least popular Congress ever. It’d be fairly easy for the branch of government to improve its reputation — lawmakers could, for example, pass some bills that enjoy broad national support — but so long as there’s an inflexible Republican majority in the House, that’s not an option. And so the question isn’t when Congress will become more popular, but rather, how low can it go?
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