Introduction
Political polling shows that United States Citizens do not agree with much of anything. One of the most common unifiers American Citizens use is failing to approve Congress. The Congressional approval ratings have been polled since 1974 and have varied greatly. The congressional approval ratings are done on monthly surveys by the United States Citizens, which is used in gauging their satisfaction level with the performance of the Congress. Over the last few years, congressional approval ratings have been increasingly low. This paper will focus on the major reasons the congressional approval ratings have been so low. It’s important to remember that Congress is a co-equal government branch designed to act as a check on the executive branch’s power.
The U.S Congress is the two-tier legislature of the civic government of the U.S and consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Representatives and senators are chosen through direct vote, though a gubernatorial selection may occupy positions in the Senate (Loomis & Schiller, 2018). Members are typically allied to the Democratic Party or Republican Party and only seldom as independents. The primary role of Congress is to pass laws protecting the American people. Congress is also responsible for declaring war, approving presidential appointments, and ratifying agreements.
Additionally, Congress oversees the federal budget and misappropriations practice. Congress has the power to impeach executive branch officials and federal judges. Congress has also played an important role in the American system of checks and balances. By passing laws and overseeing the executive branch, Congress acts as a check on the power of the president. The head of state has the authority to veto legislation accepted by Congress. This checks and balances system ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.
Most congressional approval is directly linked to the output level of Congress (Loomis & Schiller, 2018). For instance, when Congress passes the high profile bills with high public support, such as the American Rescue Plan, it influences the public’s opinion on Congress’s effectiveness. Since the early 1970s, Congress’s approval rating has hovered between 20 and 40 percent. In recent years, the low ratings indicate that many Americans are unhappy with their country’s direction. Many believe that Congress is to blame for the nation’s current problems. The Americans are unhappy with the performance of Congress and tend to have low confidence in the major institutions in the United States, such as Congress.
Polarization
The present political climate in the U.S is one of extreme polarization. Polarization includes increased negative partisan attitudes and the growing ideological divide between the Democratic and Republican parties. The effect of this polarization is that Congress’s approval rating is at an all-time low. This is because as the country continues to become more polarized, so does the opinion of the Americans on Congress. Most of the issues in 2021 and 2022 in Congress have played out the approvals. For instance, Congress failed to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which Americans highly supported from both sides. The political elites in the U.S, such as the members of Congress, politicians, and party activists, have moved toward the respective ideological wings of the parties in order to support their parties (Iyengar et al., 2019). This polarization has been increased by the two parties using parliamentary techniques in Congress, thwarting the other party, which has led to a consequential decline in Congress Civility.
The traditional norms of comity, reciprocity, and courtesy marked in the early days of Congress have broken down. Traditionally, the legislative language has been marked by politeness and order in managing partisans and individual conflicts. There have been instances of incivility and harsh language, which have been more common. In the House of Representatives, the members of Democrats, through the rules of legislative scheduling and riles of debate through tactics that have clogged up the legislative process.
For instance, in 2012, the 113th Congress passed 15 laws which were the lowest since the Congress was developed. The number of laws was not an indicator of effective policy-making, but due to the polarized gridlock, Congress did not address the relevant public policy issues. The gradual polarization in the U.S Congress has been caused by the replacement of members with less moderate candidates and the changing ideological perspectives (Dodd, 2012). The members have relied on the benefits gained from incumbency, which have helped keep more extreme members in Congress for a longer time. Additionally, individual incumbents, such as media coverage, name recognition, and raising money, have helped save partisan majorities.
According to a recent poll from Pew Research Center, Congress has an approval rating of only 17%. This low level of approval can be largely attributed to the deep divisions that exist within the country on a range of issues. Several factors have contributed to this polarization. One is the growing ideological divide between the two foremost political parties. The Democratic Party has been progressively liberal, while the Republican Party has been progressively conservative (Iyengar et al., 2019). This division has made it harder for members of Congress to find common ground and compromise on legislation. Another factor contributing to polarization is the growing influence of special interest groups. These groups often have very different agendas and tend to support one political party over the other. This can make it difficult for members of Congress to reach a consensus on legislation.
One of the main reasons for Congress’s poor approval rating is its inability to pass legislation beneficial for the American people. For example, despite widespread support for such legislation, Congress has been unable to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Furthermore, Congress has been gridlocked on gun control and climate change issues. This gridlock has led many Americans to believe that Congress is ineffective and does not have their best interests at heart. In addition to its legislative failures, Congress has also been embroiled in several scandals in recent years. These scandals have further eroded the public’s trust in Congress and have made many people question whether or not their representatives are truly looking out for their best interests.
There is no doubt that Congress has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. From accusations of corruption and self-dealing to a general feeling that the institution is out of touch with the needs of average Americans, it’s no wonder that Congress’ approval rating is at an all-time low. In many ways, Congress is not doing exactly what it was designed to do. One of the main reasons for this is that the members of Congress are more interested in getting re-elected than actually doing their jobs. They are more concerned with scoring political points against the other party and raising money for their campaigns than working together to get things done. This has led to a lot of gridlock in Congress and has made it very difficult for them to get anything done.
Partisanship
One factor that has contributed to Congress’s dysfunction is partisanship. Partisanship has become more prevalent in recent years as members of Congress have become more ideologically polarized. This has made it difficult for members of different parties to work together and find common ground. In recent years, there has been a growing trend of partisanship in the United States. This is evident in the increasing polarization of the two major political parties and in the declining approval ratings of Congress. Partisanship is supporting one’s own party or faction, even at the expense of truth or fairness (Dodd, 2012). In recent years, this partisanship has led to a decrease in the approval ratings of Congress. According to a Gallup poll, the current approval rating for Congress is 18 percent. This is the lowest it has been in over two decades. The reasons for this decline are varied, but one of the most significant factors is the increasing partisanship of the two major political parties. This partisanship has led to gridlock in Congress, as the two parties cannot agree on any issue.
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is another factor that has made it difficult for Congress to function effectively. Gerrymandering is the practice of redrawing congressional districts to benefit one party over another. This can make it difficult for members of the minority party to get elected, and it can make it harder for members of Congress to reach a consensus on issues. The main goal of Gerrymandering has been to intensify a political party’s power beyond what is required based on their vote share, thus giving an unfair advantage to one party.
Campaign Finance
Campaign finance is another issue that has made Congress less effective. Campaign finances have become an important issue in American politics in recent years. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Congress passed a series of laws designed to regulate how campaigns are financed. These laws have had the effect of making it more difficult for candidates to raise money. As a result, incumbents have an advantage over challengers regarding campaign financing.
Incumbents can raise more money because they have established relationships with donors (Dodd, 2012). They also have access to more resources, such as PAC money. As a result of these factors, incumbents typically have an easier time getting elected than challengers. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010 allowed corporations and other special interests to spend unlimited finances on elections. This has led to a situation where members of Congress are more beholden to these special interests than to the voters back home.
Conclusion
The Congress is the legislative body of the U.S federal government and is made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress has several important roles, including passing laws, approving the president’s cabinet nominees, and declaring war. Congress is also responsible for overseeing the executive branch and the federal judiciary. The origins of Congress’s dysfunctionality can be traced back to the 1970s. Since then, Congress has been increasingly gridlocked and unable to get things done. This is due to various factors, including partisanship, Gerrymandering, and campaign finance. The members of Congress have the lowest approval rating in history. All of these factors have contributed to a situation where Congress is often gridlocked and unable to pass legislation. This dysfunction has had serious consequences for the country, making it difficult for Congress to address issues like climate change, gun violence, and immigration.
References
Dodd, L. C. (2012). Congress reconsidered. Cq Press.
Iyengar, S., Lelkes, Y., Levendusky, M., Malhotra, N., & Westwood, S. J. (2019). The origins and consequences of affective polarization in the United States. Annual Review of Political Science, 22(1), 129–146.
Loomis, B. A., & Schiller, W. J. (2018). The contemporary Congress. Rowman & Littlefield.
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