Data: Public Trust in Government: 1958-2010
Data from Pew Research Center, National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, and CNN Polls.
Latinos and the 2010 Census: The Foreign Born Are More Positive
Foreign-born Latinos are more likely to say the census is good for the Hispanic community and are more knowledgeable about the process than native-born Latinos. But large majorities of both groups plan to participate.
Congress in a Wordle
Dysfunctional. Corrupt. Selfish. It’s not hard to guess what these words are describing. Examine a word cloud to see what the public thinks of Congress.
Congressional Favorability Falls to 24-Year Low; Dems Lose Midterm Advantage
Americans’ opinion of Congress is at a 24-year low, and as a result the party in power has lost its electoral edge. Voters split between the Democrats and GOP in a 2010 matchup, but Democrats are still favored on most issues.
Public Souring on Washington
More say the president and GOP leaders are not working together, as Obama’s approval inches lower and the Democratic Party’s favorability falls sharply. Opinion about the economy remains negative with personal financial assessments becoming more bearish.
Opinion of State Governments Drops With the Economy, Budget Gaps
The falloff in favorable views has been greater in states with the largest budget gaps. Also, the new administration has shifted partisan views of the federal government dramatically.
The Federal Government’s Favorables Fall Even Farther
Americans continue to hold their local and state governments in fairly high esteem, but positive views of the federal government are at their lowest point in at least a decade.
A Summer of Discontent with Washington
All three branches of the federal government are under fire from the American public. Just 29% approve of President Bush’s job performance while the proportion with a favorable view of Congress has declined 12 percentage points since January. Even favorable opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court have fallen, from 72% in January to 57% currently.
How Often Do Members of Congress Tell the Truth?
Not often, two political scientists found. Plus, economists say they know why tall people earn more.
A Do-Nothing Congress That’s Done Too Much of the Wrong Thing
Approval ratings and reelect numbers are way down.
