114th Congress Opens With Abysmal Approval Ratings

The 114th Congress has opened, but the public is not ready to believe they will be any better than the last couple of Congresses. The Gallup Poll (top chart) measures their approval at a dismal 16% (only slightly better than congressional ratings in the last three years).

The chart below is from a new YouGov Poll, and it verifies the continuing low opinion of Congress (putting approval at an even lower 9%). Republicans are a bit more optimistic, giving Congress an 18% approval -- and that is to be expected since their party controls that Congress.

But 18% is nothing to brag about (and only slightly better that 16% or 9%). The truth is that most Americans want Congress to stop playing ideological political games, and compromise with President Obama for the good of the country (and the many people still hurting from the recession) -- and Congress has given them no reason to think that has any chance of happening.