Favorability Ratings Up for Boehner, Down for Pelosi, Reid, McConnell
Now that the new Congress is fully settled in, favorability ratings have dropped for all of the top leaders except Speaker of the House John Boehner.
Congressional Favorability Ratings
Most Recent Releases
February 22, 2011
January 21, 2011
Voters View Boehner More Favorably, Still Down on Pelosi Favorably
In the first survey since John Boehner was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, favorable ratings for the Ohio congressman have risen to their highest levels to date. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now House minority leader, remains the most unpopular congressional leader as she has been for the past two years.
December 21, 2010
Most Voters View Pelosi, Reid Unfavorably, Give Mixed Marks to Boehner, McConnell
While the midterm elections initially brought some good will to the voter ratings for the top congressional leaders, the subsequent month seems to have taken it away. Ratings for the four leaders as the current session of Congress draws to a close have now fallen back to their pre-election levels, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters.
November 23, 2010
Favorables Up For Top Congressional Leaders Since Election Day
House Republican leader John Boehner has been regularly in the news since Election Day as the likely next speaker of the House, and that coverage has helped push his favorables to a new high. But all the major congressional leaders seem to be benefiting from a little good will since the elections.
October 26, 2010
Very Unfavorable Ratings for Reid, Pelosi Hit New High
With midterm congressional elections just a week away, the number of voters who view Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Very Unfavorably have reached their highest levels yet.
September 23, 2010
Pelosi Remains Least Liked Congressional Leader
With less than six weeks to go until Election Day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains the most unpopular of the four top congressional leaders as she has been since this session of Congress began early last year. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a close second.
May 23, 2010
Favorables For Pelosi, Reid and Boehner Fall Again
After receiving a small boost in ratings from their party’s voters last month following the passage of the national health care law, Democratic leaders in Congress now earn favorability marks more in line with those found in previous months.
April 15, 2010
Democrats Spark Increase In Favorables For Pelosi
Following Congress' passage of the health care bill, voters view House Speaker Nancy Pelosi more favorably than they have in months. Voter opinions of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader John Boehner are up slightly, too, after all three scored record unfavorable ratings the month before.
March 12, 2010
Negatives for Pelosi, Reid, Boehner Hit Record Highs
Congress' top leaders are feeling the heat from voters this month, as a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows three of the four reaching or matching their highest unfavorable ratings of the past year.
January 15, 2010
Reid's Favorables Up Slightly
In a rare bit of good news for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, it seems the more people who know about him, the more there are who like him.
November 19, 2009
Voters’ Opinions of Congressional Leaders Remain Steady
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid favorable ratings slightly dipped this month while House Minority Leader John Boehner received a small bounce, but voters overall have not changed their views on their congressional leaders.
October 16, 2009
58% View Pelosi Unfavorably
Despite months of haggling over health care reform, voters continue to view leaders in Congress in the same light. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains the most well known – and most disliked – of the legislature’s top leaders.
September 15, 2009
57% View Pelosi Unfavorably, But That’s An Improvement
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got a bit of reprieve from the voters after a tumultuous August recess for most members of Congress.
June 12, 2009
Pelosi’s Favorables Unchanged Despite Waterboarding Flap
The Inside-the-Beltway furor over what Nancy Pelosi knew about the CIA’s use of waterboarding and when she knew it doesn’t seem to have changed voters’ opinions of the House speaker.
May 29, 2009
Congress Receives Highest Ratings in Two Years
Twenty-three percent (23%) of likely voters now say Congress is doing a good or excellent job, representing the legislature's highest rating since May 2007.
April 30, 2009
Just 30% Think Most Members of Congress Are Corrupt
Americans have a little more confidence in the honesty of the average congressman this month, but they’re less confident that Congress as a whole will address the serious issues facing the nation.
March 27, 2009
60% View Pelosi Unfavorably
Sixty percent (60%) of U.S. voters now have an unfavorable opinion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, including 42% Very Unfavorable, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. A growing number of her doubters seem to be fellow Democrats.
March 13, 2009
Unfavorables Remain High For Congressional Leaders
Nearly two months into an historic session of Congress wrestling with one of the nation’s severest economic crises, voters have not changed their opinions of major congressional leaders from both parties.
January 22, 2009
Congressional Approval Inches Up With New Year
Fourteen percent (14%) of likely voters now give Congress good or excellent marks, representing the legislature’s highest approval ratings since last February.
January 5, 2009
62% Expect Congress To Address Serious Issues This Year
Approval of Congress' job performance is down to single digits again for the first time since early September.
