U.S. Congress' approval rating reaches 16%

YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. Congressional approval rating has hit its lowest mark in at least 40 years, as reports “Armenpress”, a new Gallup poll found. According to the Galluppoll, 16 percent of Americans approve of the job the U.S. Congress is doing — the lowest rating in a midterm year since the firm began tracking the question in 1974. That's down from 21 percent in 2010 and a high-water mark of 50 percent in 2002. Gallup reports that low congressional approval rating correlates with a higher incumbent losing percentage.Congressional incumbents are facing one of the toughest midterm election climates in recent memory.

The poll, conducted on June 5-8, finds Congress's job approval at 16 percent, its lowest point in a midterm election year since Gallup began tracking the metric in 1974. Satisfaction with the direction of the country comes in at a paltry 23 percent, just a point above its 2010 midterm year low.

Gallup's accompanying report notes that, historically, those numbers continue to sink as Election Day approaches.

Its findings, which also included middling approval numbers for President Obama and enduringly high levels of economic concern, put incumbents on uneven footing this election cycle. Past years with similarly deflated numbers, including 1982, 2006, and 2010, have resulted in a large turnover in Congress.

Gallup found that 50 percent of voters believed their own member of Congress deserved re-election. That's a far sunnier measure than congressional approval as whole, reflecting a typical heightened regard for local politicians, but it's also the indicator's weakest showing since 1992, when it was 48 percent.

Although the survey did not pinpoint any specific recent events that may have led to the continued deterioration of Congress' image, it did determine the animosity exists across party lines: approval among Democrats and Republicans was almost equally low at 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively, while only 8 percent of Independents said they were satisfied with their elected representatives.

The divided control in the House and Senate may contribute to the dismal ratings among Americans of all major political affiliations, according to the survey. For instance, when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress through much of 2009 and 2010, Gallup found that Democrats were considerably more positive about the state of Congress than either Republicans or independents were.

Congress' approval rating averaged 17 percent for all of 2011, reaching its highest point last May at 24 percent. Gallup reports the highest approval rating it has recorded for Congress, was 94 percent in October 2001, a month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Gallup reports the record-low approval rating is especially unusual because Americans expressed relatively positive opinions about the state of the U.S. in surveys conducted during the same period. For instance,American’s confidence in the economy improved for the fifth straight month in January, when Gallup's Economic Confidence Index reached -27 -- its highest point since May 2011.

Moreover, an analysis of President Obama's job performance by Gallup found that his approval ratings surpassed 50 percent in 10 states and Washington, D.C., in 2011, while his average approval came out to 44 percent.

Congress' approval rating may be grimly low, but other organizations have recorded even smaller numbers. Sixty-four respondents said the $174,000 base salary for members of Congress should be lowered, while 69 percent said members' pensions should be discontinued and 64 percent said they should be required to work more days each year.

And we all know that everyone hates Congress but loves their local Congressman, reports International Business Times.