According to a recent survey, only 37 percent of respondents said they have a favorable view of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party fared slightly better at 39 percent. Yet, this is the first time since Gallup started tracking party favorability that both parties were below 40 percent at the same time.
“For some time, numerous Gallup trends have been showing Americans largely displeased with government’s performance and leadership. Through it all, at least one political party was reviewed well, but now — perhaps because of the constant brinksmanship going on between Obama and the Republican Congress, but maybe for other reasons — both parties are floundering.” – Gallup, March 16, 2015
In April 2014, a Rasmussen poll found that a majority of Americans believe neither party represents America. This frustration among voters can be seen in other public opinion polls as well, such as congressional approval and the prevailing opinion that government is the biggest problem in the U.S.
Party registration also continues to plummet in many states as more and more Americans choose not to identify as either a Republican or a Democrat.
Americans are frustrated, but they don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. They have no hope that anything can change and as this disenchantment grows, people lose interest in participating in the voting process completely, which results in historic-low voter turnouts and creates a vicious cycle where nothing changes.