The ANES Guide to Public Opinion and Electoral Behavior

Approval of Performance of Congress 1980-2016

  '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '08 '12 '16
Approve 34
(472)		 34
(485)		 53
(1025)		 44
(965)		 52
(917)		 36
(710)		 28
(631)		 32
(572)		 46
(774)		 48
(610)		 52
(939)		 64
(931)		 46
(563)		 26
(593)		 21
(1252)		 25
(1066)
Disapprove 48
(672)		 49
(697)		 35
(672)		 38
(820)		 34
(603)		 55
(1077)		 63
(1416)		 60
(1078)		 47
(792)		 43
(549)		 33
(595)		 34
(492)		 40
(484)		 63
(1451)		 74
(4307)		 72
(3063)
Don't Know 18
(257)		 17
(235)		 12
(229)		 18
(384)		 14
(249)		 9
(185)		 9
(196)		 8
(139)		 8
(134)		 9
(110)		 15
(262)		 2
(36)		 14
(165)		 11
(264)		 5
(292)		 3
(121)
N 1401 1417 1926 2169 1769 1972 2243 1789 1700 1269 1796 1459 1212 2308 5851 4250

Percentage Within Study Year
Table 5C.4.

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Question Text:

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the U.S. Congress has been handling its job?"

Percent among demographic groups who responded:

Approve
Disapprove
Don't Know

Note:

2012 and 2016 data are for the combined (face-to-face and internet) sample.

For 2012, the 'Don't Know/Other' category represents face-to-face Don't Know cases only (in the 2012 Web instrument, a Don't Know category was not present).

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