Poll: Americans' Disgust With Congress At Record High
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Americans' disapproval of their federal lawmakers has never been higher, a new poll says.
According to a CBS News poll, 85 percent of those surveyed said they do not approve of the job Congress is doing, the highest percentage ever recorded since CBS began asking the question in 1977. Just 9 percent said they approve.
The 16-day government shutdown appears to have taken its toll on Americans' perceptions of the Legislature. In September -- before the partial closure of the federal government -- 80 percent said they did not approve of Congress.
Americans also said they were worried about the possibility of another shutdown. Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed said they are either very or somewhat concerned Congress will have difficult reaching agreements on a budget and the debt ceiling when faced with deadlines early next year.
Meanwhile, the new health care law -- the source of the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats that led to the shutdown -- remains unpopular among most Americans, with 51 percent saying they do not approve of it while 43 percent said they do. Feelings about the Affordable Care Act were divided down party lines -- 74 percent of Democrats liked it, 87 percent of Republicans did not.
Only 12 percent of those questioned said they they think the sign-up for health insurance exchanges is going well. On Monday, even President Barack Obama -- the architect of the health care overhaul -- voiced his frustration about computer glitches that have prevented many of those seeking insurance from signing up.
Americans also remain concerned about the direction of the economy. Sixty-six percent said the economy is in bad shape, and 38 percent percent said they think it is getting worse -- the highest rate since December 2011.
This poll was conducted by telephone from Friday to Monday among 1,007 adults.
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