« If it's in the news it's in our polls. «
« Rasmussen produces some of the most accurate and reliable polls in the country today. »
-Larry Sabato, University of Virginia« Rasmussen, an organization with fast zeitgeist reflexes.... «
-The Politico« If it's in the news it's in our polls. «
« The best place to look for polls that are spot on is RasmussenReports.com «
-Michael Barone, The Washington Examiner`« If you really want to know what people in America think, you can't find a better place to look than Rasmussen Reports «
-Susan Estrich« If you have a choice between Rasmussen and, say, the prestigious N.Y.Times, go with Rasmussen! »
-Mickey Kaus, Slate Magazine
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Congress Comes In Dead Last In Voter Trust
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Advertisement
Congress just can’t get no respect. While Republicans and Democrats disagree over most people and issues, they have one low opinion in common – the U.S. Congress. Consider: When all voters are asked which branch of the federal government they trust the most, 34% say the Supreme Court, while 27% choose the president, or what the Founding Fathers called the Executive Branch. Only 13% say Congress is the branch of government they trust most, and twice as many voters (27%) are undecided. For a plurality of Democrats (47%), the president is trusted most. No surprise there with Barack Obama in the White House. For pluralities of Republicans (41%) and voters not affiliated with either major party (40%), the Supreme Court tops the list. But just 12% of Democrats and 10% of unaffiliateds say Congress is the branch of government they trust most. Republicans are slightly more charitable, which is surprising given Democratic control of both the Senate and the House: 15% of GOP voters trust Congress the most. (Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls.) Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter. The Political Class is a little friendlier to the legislators. Only 11% of Mainstream Americans trust the Congress most, compared to 28% of the political elites. But the trust of the Political Class is pretty evenly divided among all three branches of government, while a plurality of Mainstream Americans (38%) put their confidence in the Supreme Court. Maybe it’s a reflection on Congress’ tendency to raise taxes on upper-income earners, but the percentage of those who trust Congress most among those who earn more than $75,000 per year is down in single digits. By a two-to-one margin, Americans believe that no matter how bad things are, Congress can make them worse. So how do they keep getting reelected? Fifty percent (50%) of voters believe high congressional reelection rates are the result of election rules that are “rigged to benefit members of Congress.” Across party lines, most Americans say members of Congress don’t play by the rules. Fifty-five percent (55%) don’t even believe most Congress members pay all the taxes they owe. When it comes to the economy, which is unquestionably the number one political issue, two-thirds of voters have more confidence in their own judgment than they do in that of the average member of Congress. There is some good news for the legislators—CEOs of large companies are viewed less favorably than members of Congress. Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free)… let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news. See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only. Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information. The Rasmussen Reports Election Edge™ Premium Service offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage available anywhere. Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters
TOP STORIES75% Are Angry At Government’s Current Policies Americans Reject Keynesian Economics What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls Republicans Still Trusted More on Most Key Issues 45% Agree With CBS’ Decision To Run Tebow Ad, 30% Disagree 83% Blame Deficit on Politicians’ Unwillingness To Cut Spending Holder's Premature Mirandization of Suspect By Debra J. Saunders Politically Speaking, Populist Isn’t Popular, But Conservative Is Obama’s Budget: Fiscal Armageddon By Howard Rich Advertisement
|
||||||||||