Congress: No one will compromise, and the lobbyists are in charge

CONGRESS: NO ONE WILL COMPROMISE, AND THE LOBBYISTS ARE IN CHARGE

American distrust of Congress is practically a tradition: for the last three years, six in ten Americans have disapproved of how Congress is handling its job, and barely one in ten in Economist/YouGov Polls have approved. In the latest poll, that figure is just 8%.

One in four have no opinion or admit they “neither approve nor disapprove.”

Most Americans don’t think Congress deserves its August vacation (aka “recess”); that’s partly because six in ten say Congress has accomplished less than usual. One of the reasons for Congress’ poor record of accomplishment with the Americans people may be that neither party is seen as willing to compromise. Only 38% believe Democrats in Congress are willing to compromise to get things done, and even fewer say that about Congressional Republicans.

A third of Republicans say their party’s members of Congress are not willing to compromise. Fewer Democrats, 19%, think that about Democrats in Congress.

The public is more likely to see President Obama than either Congressional party as willing to compromise, although that figure is still only 43%. About the same percentage, 46%, don’t believe the President is willing to compromise to get things done. That belief is held by nearly eight in ten Republicans.

Not only does the public see the Congressional parties as unwilling to compromise, they have negative views of all four Congressional party leaders. And while Nance Pelosi may have served as a Congressional punching bag for Americans during her years a Speaker of the House of Representatives, the current House Minority Leader has become the most popular of the four leaders.

Of course, a 32% favorable rating is nothing to brag about. 48% of Americans have a favorable rating for Barack Obama (46% are unfavorable). Pelosi fares reasonably with members of her own party (38% are favorable about her, ten points higher than the rating Democrats give Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

What is more surprising perhaps is how little regard Republicans have for their own leadership. More Republicans express unfavorable opinions of Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell than have favorable opinions of them.

The public is clearly disconnected from Congress and its leadership, and in addition Americans don’t think that Congress is setting the agenda in Washington. President Obama, whose approval ratings have hovered around 40% for the last few years, isn’t seen as leading either. Lobbyists may have stepped into the vacuum. They rank first when Americans are asked who is setting the national agenda. That’s especially true among independents.

Nearly a third say neither party does better than the other in handling critical issues like immigration, education, taxes and the economy.

Image: PA