Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Poll Watch, Congress, Conservatives
Americans' approval of the job Congress is doing is on the decline again, hitting 18 percent this month after inching above the 20 percent mark in February, according to a new poll out Friday.The Gallup survey found that Congress' approval rating is "essentially back to where it was just after last November's midterm elections."
Following a historical trend, voters' approval bumped up slightly when the new Congress took office in January, giving the GOP control of the House. Americans generally feel better about their representatives on Capitol Hill immediately following power shifts. But this year it didn't last.
Friday's approval (or disapproval) numbers fall evenly along party lines, with just 20 percent of both Republicans and Democrats giving thumbs up to Congress, according to Gallup. Fifteen percent of independents approve.Since Gallup began tracking the measure in 1974, congressional approval has averaged about 34 percent. Since 2008, however, Congress' approval rating has been below 20 percent in 15 of 39 months, including a record-low 13 percent last December.
Read the complete results of Gallup's new poll here.