Poll: Majority of All Voters Disapprove of Congress

image
Published: 22 Jun, 2016
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
2 min read

Independents are more likely to disapprove of Congress than voters who identify as Republican or Democrat according to a June Gallup poll.

Fifty-five percent of independents say Congress is doing a "poor" or "bad" job, compared to 54 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans. Overall, 53 percent of Americans view Congress' performance negatively, according to the poll.

However, when asked about elected representatives of certain parties, independents appear disgruntled. Sixty-four percent of Republicans characterized congressional Democrats' job as "poor/bad," compared to 13 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of independents.

On the other hand, 30 percent of Republican respondents disapproved of their own party's performance, compared to 75 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents.

The party distinction draws an extremely understandable line between independents and party-affiliated voters. Very few independents view Congress positively, regardless of party. That is, although Republicans disapprove of Democrat congressmen, and vice versa, independents tend to have negative views of both Republican and Democratic congressional representatives. Sometimes, as this study found, to an even greater extent than either party.

Perhaps this is due to independents' interests being underrepresented or overlooked. If a voter feels that one of the two main parties has ignored his or her interests, he or she may reposition themselves as an independent, which would then fuel this skeptical view of a bipartisan Congress.

 

gallup-poll-party-approval-of-congress

 

IVP Donate

Indeed, fewer and fewer Americans are choosing to affiliate themselves with a major party. According to another Gallup poll from 2015, in 2011, the percentage of independents exceeded 40 percent of the American electorate. In 2014, 43 percent of voters identified as independent.

These statistics follow longtime trends, stretching back more than a decade and are continuing to grow. What's more, it's important to keep in mind that newly independent voters are largely coming from the two major parties.

The Republican Party has seen a larger exodus, with a decline greater than that of those still registering as Democrats: only 26 percent of Americans now identify as Republican, compared to 30 percent for Democrats.

National Voter Self-identification Trend (4)

However, the large segments of both Republicans and Democrats finding themselves outside party lines in the 2016 elections could bolster the ranks of independents, as Bernie Sanders' supporters hesitate to support Hillary Clinton, and many Republicans shy away from Donald Trump.

It's possible that the growing population of independents will propel their interests onto the public stage, such as increasing voting accessibility for those unaffiliated with either major party. After all, it's in the legislator's best interests to serve the growing bloc of independent voters.

 

Photo credit: Shutterstock.comOrhan Cam

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read