Poll: Congress Approval Rating Drops to 18 Percent

In recent years, Americans have never been particularly impressed with the work of Congress. And never was that more true than now. A new Gallup poll shows that just 18 percent of the public approves of the body’s work, down from 23 percent in February.

And the disapproval isn’t limited to any one portion of the political spectrum. Congress’ approval rating totaled only 15 percent among independents, down from 23 percent in February; 20 percent among Republicans, down from 23 percent; and 20 percent among Democrats, down from 25 percent.

To be sure, the overall 18 percent rating still represents an improvement over December’s record low of 13 percent. Congress’ approval rating has averaged 34 percent since Gallup began tracking the measure in 1974.