CNN/ORC Poll: Confidence In Congress Rises Modestly
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released today shows confidence in Congress has risen over the last two months, though over the same time period a smaller percentage of voters say that Pres. Obama is doing enough to cooperate with Republican members.
The poll, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation via telephone between April 3 and April 5, shows that 35 percent of those surveyed approve of the job Congress is doing, while 63 percent disapprove. In an early February poll, 29 percent approved and 71 percent dispproved.
Meanwhile, when asked if the country would be better off with Republicans or Democrats controlling Congress, 49 percent said the Democrats, while 34 percent said the GOP. In January, faith in the Democrats was stronger, with 56 percent backing the president's party, compared with 31 percent who opted for Republicans.
Obama gets strong marks for cooperating with congressional Republicans; 62 percent said he is, while 36 percent said he isn't. His numbers were stronger, however, in February, when 74 percent said he was doing enough and 25 percent said he wasn't. Conversely, 37 percent of respondents said Republicans are doing enough to cooperate with Obama, and 61 percent said they're not doing enough. In February, 39 percent said GOP lawmakers were working well with the White House, and 60 percent said they weren't.
In the time since Obama took office at the end of January, Republicans have made clear that they wouldn't give the White House the bipartisan legislative victories the president is seeking. In the House, GOP members voted in lockstep against Obama's stimulus package; in the Senate, three Republicans signed on. The Democrats have taken to saying their counterparts have to do more than be the party of 'no.' Republicans argue that they have not had input into the legislative process.
Still, Obama, the poll notes, gets significantly stronger marks from voters than congressional Republicans when asked who has a plan for solving the nations' economic problems; 58 percent of voters said Obama does, 42 percent said he does not, and 24 percent said GOP members do, while 74 percent said they do not.
Opinion Research Corporation interviewed 1,023 adult Americans. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus