Americans rate Republicans, Democrats in Congress poorly

Americans continue to rate Republicans and Democrats in Congress poorly, with Congress’ overall job approval rating near all-time lows.

According to the latest ratings from a June 20-24 Gallup poll, just 34 percent of Americans approve of the job the Democrats in Congress are doing as opposed to 26 percent who approve Republicans.

The approval ratings for both parties are significantly lower than their historical averages.

Americans’ approval of Congress overall was measured at 17 percent earlier this month, among the worst Gallup has measured.

Another Gallup poll conducted in June showed that Americans’ confidence in Congress is the lowest on record among 16 American societal intuitions for the fourth straight year.

Furthermore, Americans’ opinion of the federal government has also fallen to a record low.

According to Pew Research Center survey released in April, only 28 percent of Americans rate the U.S. government favorably, the lowest percentage ever in a Pew survey.

Optimism about the state of the nation is also down, according to a NBC/WSJ poll released in April, with 70 percent saying the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Part of the pessimism towards Congress and the federal government is due to the Great Recession and the weak recovery that has followed.

Fifty-six percent of Americans believed the recession would permanently change the U.S. economy, according to a recent survey by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.