The American Congress Reader

That Americans disapprove of Congress is generally as well accepted as any stylized fact in American politics. From 1974 (when Gallup first asked a congressional approval question) through 1997, congressional approval hovered around 30 percent. The average for 54 Gallup polls taken over the 23 years was 31 percent. At no point did a majority of Americans approve of the way Congress did its job – approval climaxed in 1974 at 48 percent amid the Watergate proceedings. Such bleak numbers led Glenn Parker to conclude, “Congress, like Prometheus, is inevitably doomed to suffer indignities.” Sometimes, however, stylized facts turn out to be fiction. In 1998, Congress enjoyed widespread popular support, reaching a high of 63 percent in late September. Notwithstanding Congress' current popularity, the causes and consequences of the American public's disapproval of Congress have been studied in classrooms.

The myriad opinions and explanations of low congressional approval can generally be broken down into two schools of thought. The first argues that the American public's disapproval of Congress is based on policy or conditions. Low congressional approval is an artifact of either a recessing economy or policies inconsistent with the public's preferences.