Congress vexes the public: 91 percent of Americans give lawmakers a negative job review

OPINION:

The nation appears united about about one thing at least: Americans remain critical of Congress, with an average nine-out-of-10 overall giving lawmakers a negative review. This includes Republicans, Democrats and independents across the board, according to a new Harris Poll. This is the third month for rock-bottom ratings for Congress the pollster says - a finding often reflected in other surveys which typically reveal that the public is weary of partisan gridlock, a “do nothing” attitude among elected officials and continuing acrimony between the parties.

Congress is not the only group with negative reviews. Here are some numbers:

91 percent of Americans give the U.S. Congress a negative job performance rating; 93 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of independents and 90 percent of Democrats agree.

70 percent overall say the nation is on the wrong track; 86 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of independents and 50 percent of Democrats agree.

64 percent overall give President Obama a negative job review dealing with the economy; 93 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of independents and 36 percent of Democrats agree.

63 percent overall give their local member of Congress a negative rating; 93 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of independents and 90 percent of Democrats agree.

62 percent overall give President Obama a negative job review; 92 percent of Republicans, 66 percent of independents and 32 percent of Democrats agree.

25 percent expect the economy to improve in the next year; 13 percent of Republicans, 21 percent of independents and 38 percent of Democrats agree.

Source: A Harris Poll of 2,220 U.S. adults conducted June 17-22 and released Thursday.