Congress’ Approval Rating Hits New Low

13%

A new Gallup poll finds Americans’ approval of Congress fell to 13%.“Americans of all political stripes hold Congress in similarly low regard. Just 18% of Republicans, 14% of Democrats and 10% of independents approve of the job the legislative body is doing. This month, these figures are unchanged among Republicans, while down slightly among Democrats and independents.”

Congress Ranks Lowest for Honesty and Ethics Among Nation’s Professions

22nd

The U.S. Congress’ ranking out of a broad range of 22 professions, when it comes to bedrock values of honesty and ethics, says a Gallup poll released Monday. Only 8 percent of the respondents gave members of Congress a positive rating for honesty and ethical standards. Senators did a little better, managing to garner 12 percent, while state governors reached 18 percent. Amazingly, oft-vilified journalists got 23 percent — still earning the approval of less than a quarter of the respondents. Nurses topped the list with 84 percent, with pharmacists in a somewhat distant second place with 67 percent and doctors at 65 percent.

Most Americans Express Disappointment in Republican Congress

65%

Of Americans say congressional Republicans are not keeping the promises they made during the campaign, while just 23% say they are, according to a new national survey by Pew Research Center. Nearly four in 10 (37%) say the new Congress has accomplished less than they expected, while 4% say it has accomplished more than expected. About half (53%) say its accomplishments are in line with what they expected.

More Approve of Democrats Than Republicans

38%

Approval rate of congressional Democrats, versus 27 percent for Republicans, reports the Washington Post: “In October, 30 percent said they approved of congressional Democrats compared with 25 percent who approved of congressional Republicans.” Public approval of Congress remains low, with 22 percent of Americans saying they approve of the way Congress is doing its job — a 7 point increase since last September — with the shift driven by a rise in support among independents and Republicans.

Laying Blame for Our Do-Nothing Congress

There are three groups to blame for the gross dereliction of duty we have seen from this do-nothing Congress. The first, paradoxically, is the Federal Reserve. Its monetary policies have allowed some small measure of recovery, giving cover to Congress’s failure to manage our fiscal policies …. The second group is the Supreme Court. Its campaign of replacing our Jeffersonian democracy with a corporatocracy — sponsored by and sold to the highest bidder — continues unabated … But the group most to blame for the sad state of Congress is you, the American voter. Or, more accurately, the American non-voter.

— Barry Ritholtz, in a Bloomberg op-ed piece.