The Issue with Reelecting the Same Representatives
The issue is not fresh, but it is persistent. People do not approve of the job that Congress or the President is doing for them, but they want to elect the same people to represent them in government on a regular basis. Using the same logic, will the people of the United States want to buy the same type of vehicle if it had a top speed well below reasonable speed limits and was continually breaking down while you needed it? The answer to both situations should be a resounding “No.” The people just seem to keep reelecting the same representatives in the hope that things will improve. Even though the people of the U.S. are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the performance of their representatives in the federal government, they continue to elect the same representatives repeatedly because people feel helpless to change the status quo and after years of disappointing performance apathy has set in among U.S. voters.
Dissatisfaction with Congress in the 21st Century
In the 21st century, the Congress and the President of the United States have garnered some of the worst poll numbers in the history of the Republic. In June 2013, in midst of the second term of President Barrack Obama, Congress’ poll numbers were abysmal. A Gallup poll of 1500 American adults taken at the time showed that 4 out of 5 Americans (78%) disapproved of the job that Congress was doing (Saad, 2013). The poll cited a whopping 59% of those polled said that “ineffective/partisan gridlock” (Saad, 2013) was responsible for the problems in Washington, with “party gridlock/bickering/not compromising” (Saad, 2013) taking second place at just over 28%. Barrack Obama was not insulated from poor polling even though his approval rating among Democrats was high at 80%, his approval number among Republican voters was a dismal 14% (Gao & Smith, 2016). Viewing these numbers one must wonder why, with such distressing polling, how is it that Congressional members, who are up to election every 4 to 6 years, continue to be brought back to Washington? The reason that we can gather from polling seems to be that the American people still have an underlying faith in their government which is driving their choices at the polls. In the same Gallup poll cited above, Americans show their continued faith in Congress by responding that Congress is “doing a good job or is getting better, mentioned by 15%” (Saad, 2013). In addition, respondents noted that Congress is working better across party lines at a rate of 9% and 7% “applaud at least one party for trying (Saad, 2013).
Comparison with Past Administrations
If the government is doing such a bad job in the 21st century, how does this compare with past administrations? In this category, Pew Research Center polling data going back to the Clinton administration and Gallup data going back to Eisenhower, shows that Obama’s numbers from the Republican party are far below the average for every other President in the last 60 years. The polls show that on average, presidents have received around 30% support from the opposing party with Eisenhower garnering the biggest percentage of support during his two terms in office at 49% (Gao & Smith, 2016). However, the same data shows that the two presidents who ushered in the 21st century, George W. Bush and Barrack Obama, have had opposing party approval ratings significantly below these averages. As mentioned above, Obama’s approval rating among Republicans averaged around 14% and Bush’s approval rating with Democrats was equally low at 23% (Gao & Smith, 2016). This data seems to reflect a growing dissatisfaction among rank and file American voters with the “business as usual” standard that has settled in with their representatives over the years.
Solutions and Lack of Accountability
So, if Americans are so dissatisfied with the job that their government is doing, what, if any solutions, have they expressed which they think will fix the problems? To find out the answer to this question, the Congressional Institute commissioned the Winston Group, a think tank located in Washington D.C. to research the subject. One of the results of this study found that the American people are concerned “about a lack of accountability in Congress and a perception that Congress is not truly acting in the best interest of the people” (“What Americans Think”, 2016). Beyond this finding, the study also found that the American people think that the mainstream media in the U.S. is “promoting conflict in Congress” by reporting only on the negative results of Congressional action and not the many positive actions taken by Congress (“What Americans Think”, 2016). The result of these actions by the media is that the public is not fully informed on all the actions that Congress is taking in their favor. The study therefore concludes that “Given these elements, the majority of the electorate – including voters of all partisan affiliations – feel that their voices are not heard effectively in the current policy discourse” (“What Americans Think”, 2016). Looking at the study from a partisan view, Republicans believe that the “lack of accountability and lawmakers not acting in the best interest of the people” are the biggest problems plaguing the Legislative branch, while Democrats believe that it is because “Congress blocks the President’s authority for partisan reasons in addition to not being accountable” (“What Americans Think”, 2016). Both opinions show a considered lack of belief in the representatives by the people who trusted them enough to elect them.
Suggested Solutions
As for solutions which came out of the above study, the most positive ones seemed to all be “related to increased transparency about voting records and increased oversight of budget and regulatory issues” (“What Americans Think”, 2016). Apparently, the electorate polled as part of this study feels that too much about Congress is not in the public domain. Also, the study showed that people believed these solutions should already be happening but that the above set of proposals would be “a good first step to refocusing Congress on its basic responsibilities in addition to increasing accountability, understanding of the legislative process, and helping voters’ voices to be heard” (“What Americans Think”, 2016).
The Paradox of Disapproval and Reelection
Now that we have established the reasons that the people think Congress is not being as effective as it could be, we turn the investigative lens of this paper onto the people to examine why, if Congress is doing such a poor job, do the people keep sending the same representatives back to be their voice instead of electing someone new? In a Gallup poll released in November 2015, the numbers for Congressional approval were some of the lowest ever recorded. Among the results, Republicans approve of Congress at a rate of only 8%, Democrats at a rate of 11%, and independents at a rate of 13% (Mataconis, 2015). Taking a look at Congressional approval ratings since 1975 shows a disturbing trend in the latest years’ numbers (see Figure 1 below).
Figure 1: Congressional Job Approval (Mataconis, 2015)
Looking at this chart, we can track some of the significant points where the peoples’ approval of Congress rose and fell since 1975. Starting in 1975 we can see the peak which likely corresponds to the decision to pull out of the Vietnam War followed by the depression around the time of the beginning of the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979. Then, we see a generally upward trend during the two terms of Ronald Reagan, culminating in a drop in the aftermath of the end of the Cold War and another peak when the U.S. fought Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War in 1991 under George H.W. Bush. During the Clinton administration, there was a generally upward trend as Congressional bipartisanship seemed at last to be taking hold, however this trend moderated slightly at the beginning of George W. Bush’s first term then skyrocketed in the aftermath of 9/11 where Congressional approval reached an all-time high of 84%. However, not too long after this historic high, the trend reversed itself and we find ourselves where we are today with record lows in approval. Taking a look at this data in aggregate, we can follow the parallels in historical events corresponding to highs and lows in Congressional approval. This traces the mood of the nation with respect to its approval of the job Congress and the President are doing. However, even with the economy recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression and things in Washington moderating to some extent, Congressional approval numbers continue to fall which is a baffling trend. Something is still worrying the American people about the government. Although it is too early to predict what the new Trump administration and a Republican-controlled House and Senate will be able to do in terms of turning public opinion around, the numbers do not have a lot further to fall. Overall, the current trend seems to indicate that the people are in a “wait and see” mode with respect to Congressional and Presidential approval.
The "Business as Usual" Attitude
Given that the American people are seemingly unhappy with the job that the government is doing these days, and they find themselves stuck with the same choices of people to represent them in Congress cycle after cycle, the polls give the impression that the reason at the nexus of all this seems to be discontent with the “business as usual” attitude that permeates the halls of Congress. With this dissatisfaction comes a feeling of hopelessness on the part of the voting public and a feeling of “why should I care” among a lot of Americans, which is likely driving the disapproval of government. Perhaps the new situation that Washington now finds itself in will be the event which turns around the downward trend of approval in government.
References
Gao, G & Smith, S. (2016). Presidential job approval ratings from Ike to Obama. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/12/presidential-job-approval-ratings-from-ike-to-obama/.
Mataconis, D. (2015). Americans Continue to Hate Congress, Will Still Re-Elect That Same Congress. Outside the Beltway website. Retrieved from http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/americans-continue-to-hate-congress-will-still-re-elect-that-same-congress/.
Saad, L. (2013). Gridlock Is Top Reason Americans Are Critical of Congress. Gallup Inc. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/163031/gridlock-top-reason-americans-critical-congress.aspx.
What Americans Think Is Wrong with Congress (and What Should Be Done). Congressional Institute website. Retrieved from http://conginst.org/2016/06/14/what-americans-think-is-wrong-with-congress-and-what-should-be-done/.
