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December 15, 2010 Share E-mail Print

Congress' Job Approval Rating Worst in Gallup History


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Thirteen percent approve of the way Congress is handling its job tracking of President Obama's job approval
by Jeffrey M. Jones rating, in-depth analysis, and featured
stories.
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans' assessment of Congress has hit a new low, with 13% saying they
approve of the way Congress is handling its job. The 83% disapproval rating is also the worst Gallup has
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measured in more than 30 years of tracking congressional job performance.
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The prior low approval rating for Congress was 14% in July 2008 when the United States was dealing with
past presidents.
record-high gas prices and the economy was in recession.

The current results are based on a Dec. 10-12 Gallup poll, conducted as Congress is finishing work on
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last week by President Obama and Republicans in Congress. The tax deal preserves the 2001 and 2003 Gallup's new Android application
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Americans are generally more positive than negative toward the deal, but many Democrats in Congress
oppose it. RELATED ITEMS

Frustration with the tax deal among Democrats in the general population could be a major reason for Americans Remain Supportive of
Americans' historically low approval rating of Congress. That frustration could be opposition to the bill's Proposed Tax Compromise
December 14, 2010
particulars or frustration with the Democrats in Congress opposing the president's deal. Democrats'
approval of Congress is down significantly, to 16% now, from 29% in November. The November poll was Americans' Views on
conducted after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives for 2011-2012 in the midterm Potential Tax Cut
elections, so the drop in this month's numbers is not a reaction to the Democrats' midterm losses. Compromise
December 9, 2010
Meanwhile, independents' and Republicans' ratings of Congress are down slightly from November.

Vast Majority Wants Some Aspect of Bush


Tax Cuts Extended
December 1, 2010

In U.S., Tax Issues Rank as Top Priority


for Lame-Duck Congress
November 23, 2010

Congressional Approval at 17% After


Elections
November 11, 2010

Boehner's Image Improves, Reid's Does


Not After Midterms
November 10, 2010

Control of Congress Matters Most to Tea


Partiers, Republicans
November 1, 2010
For the year, Congress averaged 19% approval among all Americans, tied with the averages for 1979 and
2008, and one percentage point above the 18% average for 1992. Those years were all marked by difficult One in 4 Say Congress Accomplished
economic times for the United States. More Than Usual This Year
October 29, 2010

Views of GOP's Ability to Govern Similar


to 1994, 2006
October 7, 2010

Congressional Approval Hits Record-Low


14%
July 16, 2008

Despite the historic lows, the prospects for a recovery in Congress' approval ratings in the short term
appear good, based on what Gallup has measured in the past when control of Congress changed hands.
Gallup documented a 10-point increase in Congress' approval rating from December 1994 to January
1995 after the Republicans officially took control of the House and Senate after the 1994 midterm
elections. There was a larger 14-point increase in congressional approval ratings after the Democrats'
taking control of Congress in January 2007.

Both increases were fueled by spikes in congressional approval among supporters of the new majority
party.

Bottom Line

Americans currently hold Congress in lower esteem for the job it is doing than at any point in the last 36
years. In the past month, many of the supporters it had, largely Democrats, appear to have become
frustrated with its work. That frustration seems to be taken out more on the Democratic congressional
majority than on the president, whose approval rating has been relatively stable between 44% and 46%
since the election among all Americans, and between 78% and 81% among Democrats.

Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Dec. 10-12, 2010, with a random
sample of 1,019 adults, aged 18 and older, living in the continental U.S., selected using random-digit-dial
sampling.

For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the
maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on landline telephones (for respondents with a landline
telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell phone-only). Each sample includes a
minimum quota of 150 cell phone-only respondents and 850 landline respondents, with additional
minimum quotas among landline respondents for gender within region. Landline respondents are chosen
at random within each household on the basis of which member had the most recent birthday.

Samples are weighted by gender, age, race, education, region, and phone lines. Demographic weighting
targets are based on the March 2009 Current Population Survey figures for the aged 18 and older non-
institutionalized population living in continental U.S. telephone households. All reported margins of
sampling error include the computed design effects for weighting and sample design.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce
error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

View methodology, full question results, and trend data.

For more details on Gallup's polling methodology, visit http://www.gallup.com/.

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