With the lowest approval ratings and the highest disapproval ratings in the history of Gallup rating Congress, they conducted a poll to find out why Congress is at an all time low.
As far as Congress and the claims that they make about Iraq being first and foremost as the reason, this poll shows that Iraq rates as the #2 reason all around and ties with not doing or passing anything for the #1 reason reason among Democratic voters.
It is clear that much of the frustration Americans have with Congress stems from the perception that it is not doing what it should be doing, or what the public wants it to do, including not passing anything (mentioned by 19% of those who disapprove of Congress), not ending the war in Iraq (16%), not paying enough attention to the needs of the people (14%), not standing up to the president enough (10%), and not dealing with illegal immigration (5%), or general mentions of stalemate or gridlock (2%). Nine percent also say the Democrats are not doing what they were elected to do last fall. All told, 67% of those who disapprove of Congress mention some type of congressional inaction as a reason why they disapprove of Congress. That translates into 48% of all Americans who disapprove of Congress for perceived inaction.
Most of the remaining reasons for disapproving of Congress center on two additional themes -- disagreements with how Congress operates and complaints that there is too much bickering and partisan fighting in Congress. The specific operational disagreements include mentions that Congress is too beholden to special interests (11%) and that it is spending too much (5%). Partisan bickering is exemplified by those who say Congress is too partisan (11%), there is too much bickering in the institution, and that Congress is mainly just attacking the president (4%).
An analysis of the three broad categories of responses (inaction, partisan bickering, and disagreements with what Congress has done) by party affiliation shows that Democrats who disapprove of the job Congress is doing are much more likely than Republicans to cite inaction in their reasoning, even though inaction is easily the dominant reason supplied by disapprovers of both parties. Republicans who disapprove of Congress are much more likely than Democratic disapprovers to mention partisan bickering in their reasons for their disapproval, and slightly more likely to mention operational disagreements.
So much for their touted "mandate". They would be more honest to say that Iraq was the mandate for their far far liberal left base, not their moderate voters, but honesty isn't something that is politically good for them right now.
The poll results make clear that Americans who disapprove of the job Congress is doing are frustrated with perceived inaction -- either in general or in regards to specific issues such as the Iraq war, illegal immigration, or serving the needs of the people. There is also a widely held perception that there is too much bickering and party politics in Congress. The relatively small proportion of Americans who approve of Congress are largely giving them credit for trying, even while acknowledging they are not accomplishing much.
Below is the 1:48 second video from Gallup News, explaining why this Congress has the lowest approval ratings in the history of Gallup.
The poll itself can be found here.
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