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October 2008 Survey
Using a grade of A to F, please grade the current Congress' performance in the following areas:
1. What grade would you give Congress for overseeing the activities of the President and executive branch? (N = 996)
A |
1.6 |
B |
12.6 |
C |
31.4 |
D |
22.1 |
F |
32.3 |
2. What grade would you give Congress for encouraging its own level of bipartisan cooperation? (N = 991)
A |
1.6 |
B |
9.4 |
C |
28.1 |
D |
25.5 |
F |
35.3 |
3. What grade would you give Congress for conducting its business in a careful, deliberate way? (N = 995)
A |
1.5 |
B |
10.8 |
C |
27.7 |
D |
24.5 |
F |
35.4 |
4. What grade would you give Congress for representing America's diverse groups and interests? (N = 992)
A |
3.6 |
B |
13.9 |
C |
30.2 |
D |
23.8 |
F |
28.6 |
5. What grade would you give Congress for dealing with key issues facing the country? (N = 999)
A |
2 |
B |
10 |
C |
22.9 |
D |
24.8 |
F |
40.4 |
6. What grade would you give Congress for holding its members to high standards of ethical conduct? (N = 995)
A |
2.1 |
B |
8.5 |
C |
21.6 |
D |
21.5 |
F |
46.4 |
7. What grade would you give Congress for controlling the influence of special interest groups? (N = 996)
A |
1.6 |
B |
6.4 |
C |
20.6 |
D |
21.9 |
F |
49.5 |
8. What grade would you give Congress for keeping excessive partisanship in check? (N = 994)
A |
1.4 |
B |
6.5 |
C |
25.9 |
D |
23.6 |
F |
42.5 |
9. What grade would you give citizens for following what is going on in Congress? (N = 996)
A |
2.2 |
B |
6.8 |
C |
26.9 |
D |
35.3 |
F |
28.8 |
10. What grade would you give citizens for contacting members of Congress on issues that concern them? (N = 1000)
A |
3 |
B |
9.2 |
C |
29.8 |
D |
33.1 |
F |
24.8 |
11. What grade would you give citizens for voting in congressional elections? (N = 999)
A |
3.6 |
B |
14.8 |
C |
38.9 |
D |
29 |
F |
13.7 |
12. What grade would you give citizens for understanding the main features of Congress? (N = 998)
A |
1.8 |
B |
6.6 |
C |
29.8 |
D |
34.6 |
F |
27.2 |
13. In the past two years, have you contacted your Representative in the U.S. House or one of your U.S. Senators? (N = 994)
Yes |
46.4 |
No |
53.6 |
14. Was your contact more to ask for some information about Congress or to pass on your views? (N = 460)
Ask for information |
10 |
Pass on views |
90 |
15. How satisfied were you with the response? (N = 460)
Very satisfied |
15.5 |
Somewhat satisfied |
45.3 |
Not very satisfied |
39.2 |
16. Below are reasons that people give for why they haven't contacted their members of Congress. Which best applies to you? (N = 531)
You had no problems or reasons |
37.7 |
Would not listen to my concerns |
36.3 |
Work of Congress has little impact on my life |
5.5 |
Happy with the way things are |
2.0 |
Other |
18.6 |
17. In the past two years, have you attended a public meeting where one of your members of Congress was present? (N = 996)
Have attended |
13.3 |
Have not attended |
86.7 |
18. Have you ever talked in person to a member of Congress? (N = 1000)
Have talked |
27.5 |
Have not talked |
72.5 |
19. Was it just for a brief greeting or was it a discussion of a substantive matter? (N = 274)
Brief greeting |
65.8 |
Discussion of a substantive matter |
34.2 |
20. Roughly how long was the conversation? (N = 275)
Less than a minute |
25.3 |
A few minutes |
52.2 |
10 minutes or more |
22.4 |
21. Have you read any of the newsletters or mailings sent out by your members of Congress in the past two years (other than campaign materials)? (N = 994)
Yes |
57.6 |
No |
42.4 |
22. Did you find the material useful and informative? (N = 570)
Yes |
64.1 |
No |
35.9 |
23. Over the past two years, have you received more campaign materials from your members of Congress or more general mailings from them about Congress? (N = 987)
More information about Congress |
10.2 |
More campaign materials |
39.9 |
About the same |
49.9 |
24. In the past two years, have you looked at the website of any of your members of Congress? (N = 996)
Yes |
43.3 |
No |
56.7 |
25. Did you find the website helpful? (N = 431)
Yes |
76.4 |
No |
23.6 |
26. Do you believe that members of Congress listen and care about what people like you think? (N = 996)
Yes |
31.6 |
No |
68.4 |
27. Who do you think members of Congress listen to more: party leaders, lobbyists, or the voters back home? (N = 997)
Party leaders |
38.4 |
Lobbyists |
51 |
Voters back home |
10.6 |
28. Would you say that you follow what's going on in Congress most of the time, some of the time, only now and then, or hardly at all? (N = 999)
Most of the time |
28.6 |
Some of the time |
37.9 |
Only now and then |
22 |
Hardly at all |
11.4 |
29. Do you follow more closely what's going on in Congress or what's going on in your state and local government? (N = 990)
Congress |
52.1 |
State and local government |
47.9 |
30. Which do you believe has more of an impact on your life–the work of Congress, or the work of state and local government? (N = 988)
Work of Congress |
46.7 |
Work of state and local government |
53.3 |
31. Which kind of political issues are more important to you: social issues like abortion, gay marriage, and the death penalty or economic issues like taxes, social security, and health care spending? (N = 1000)
Social issues |
6 |
Economic issues |
35.1 |
Both kinds of issues are equally important to me |
58.9 |
32. Do you think there are bigger differences in what the Republicans and Democrats in Congress stand for when it comes to social issues like abortion, gay rights, and the death penalty or economic issues like taxes, social security, and health care spending? (N = 993)
Social Issues |
22 |
Economic Issues |
15.3 |
Equal amount of differences on both social and economic issues |
62.7 |
33. Over the past several years, has the power of the president been about right, too much, or too little? (N = 998)
about right |
31.9 |
too much |
47.2 |
too little |
20.9 |
34. Over the past several years, has the power of the Congress been about right, too much, or too little? (N = 995)
about right |
26.4 |
too much |
39.8 |
too little |
33.8 |
35. Which of the three branches of government did the founding fathers intend to be the most powerful? (N = 970)
executive branch (president) |
21.5 |
legislative branch (Congress) |
58.7 |
judicial branch (Supreme Court) |
19.9 |
36. Under our system of government, who was given the main power to declare war? (N = 994)
the president |
39.8 |
Congress |
60.2 |
37. Under our system of government, who was given the main power to set federal spending? (N = 968)
the president |
17.1 |
Congress |
82.9 |