US Congress's Approval Rate Reaches Single Digits For the First Time

[PredatorFett]

Well to be honest, though, this can be pinned on the Democrats. Look at what a hornet's nest they kicked up when they had the House and Senate. Can't blame really anyone right now about this except the man in the white house, albeit indirectly.

 

[Das Ritterkreuz]

The US has been two party country since the Civil War. You may want to rethink your rhetoric.

No, you're right, it's been this way since the mid 1800's. My rhetoric still stands however, an equal third party or more would help to an extant.

 

[Crezth]

First part true, second part false. Americans, in general, are much more distrusting of government than the rest of the first world, not because of a need for instant gratification, though there is some of that, but because of our national culture and history.

You mean the government that was fairly well-liked and did all kinds of things people approved of until Nixon? I'd say mistrust of government is a fairly recent phenomenon. It's not like people in 1942 said "the only thing I hate worse than government is taxes."

 

[Cutlass]

You mean the government that was fairly well-liked and did all kinds of things people approved of until Nixon? I'd say mistrust of government is a fairly recent phenomenon. It's not like people in 1942 said "the only thing I hate worse than government is taxes."

That's only partly true. There has always been a distrust of government. It was just never as general before Nixon. It was sectional and ideological and rooted in the South and slave holders for a long time. Because that part of government was against the interests of some groups. Distrust of government has typically been about distrust of the parts of government that opposed what people wanted, not about distrust of all government. And really, it largely still is. But now the distrust portion of the population have a louder voice than we are accustomed to in recent decades.

 

[amadeus]

People have no faith in Congress because it doesn't do anything. They were sent their to govern and solve problems. Not to bicker and be useless.

Congress has been doing more (spending more) recently than it has at nearly any time since the end of World War II. It isn't "GOP obstructionism" (as though the Democrats don't obstruct when a Republican is in the White House?) because Congress' approval ratings plummeted all throughout the Pelosi tutelage.

 

[Cutlass]

Congress has been doing more (spending more) recently than it has at nearly any time since the end of World War II. It isn't "GOP obstructionism" (as though the Democrats don't obstruct when a Republican is in the White House?) because Congress' approval ratings plummeted all throughout the Pelosi tutelage.

Not true. The government is now spending only $600bil more than it did in 2007. Considering the natural increases in price, and the high unemployment rate, that's really not very much money.

But are they actually "doing more" in ways other than the money they aren't really spending? No. The people want problems solved. Congress is not solving them.

 

[Archbob]

Its time for the fatcats to hire a private army and take over the country.

 

[JollyRoger]

Its time for the fatcats to hire a private army and take over the country.

They already have.

 

[Lord of Elves]

You mean the government that was fairly well-liked and did all kinds of things people approved of until Nixon? I'd say mistrust of government is a fairly recent phenomenon. It's not like people in 1942 said "the only thing I hate worse than government is taxes."

Good, honest, hardworking main-street Americans know never to trust those dirty politicians, just like they know not to trust those university men with their slick lab-coats, "evidence" and "scientific method".

 

[RobAnybody]

Well to be honest, though, this can be pinned on the Democrats. Look at what a hornet's nest they kicked up when they had the House and Senate. Can't blame really anyone right now about this except the man in the white house, albeit indirectly.

To a large extent, I agree with this.

Obama spent his Political Capital & then some on Health Care Reform, which really didn't accomplish a whole lot. No Single Payer. Not even a Public Option.

"Everyone must buy private insurance & if you can't afford it the gov't will subsidize it." That's what they got out of the whole thing, really. And it cost Obama 125% of his political capital, more-or-less.

They can't do any sort of jobs program. The idiot Tea Party people who don't understand the Debt Ceiling took power over the whole Congress. Now he can't even kill Osama or Gh..Kh..Ka..Gaddafi & gain more Political Capital.

Nothing new is going to get accomplished until after the next election, no matter how it turns out. No one, on either side, can address the concerns of the Occupy people, the Tea people, or even the sane people right now.

 

[Akka]

So people elect senators from the "favour the rich" party and are surprised they do exactly that ?
Hello public, that is how democracy works. Next time go to vote rather than watching your TV and complain about how the government is bad.

 

[EnglishEdward]

They already have.

And in the UK too, where they have Just awarded themselves a 49% pay rise !!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15487866

 

[warpus]

The US has been two party country since the Civil War. You may want to rethink your rhetoric.

Isn't a two party system pretty much inevitable under the uhh majority rules that U.S. elections work under? or something like that..

(it's 10am, I've already had 2 beers, don'T remember all the facts, etc.)

 

[Cutlass]

Isn't a two party system pretty much inevitable under the uhh majority rules that U.S. elections work under? or something like that..

(it's 10am, I've already had 2 beers, don'T remember all the facts, etc.)

In political science, it's generally accepted that first past the post will result in a 2 party system being stable and any variation from that temporary.

3rd party candidates do win election in the US. Not a lot, but it does happen. But usually it's an independent candidate that is well known already for one reason or another. So it is an individual thing, not a 3rd party thing.

 

[choxorn]

And those third party candidates only win local elections most of the time. A couple get into Congress, but that's pretty much it.