Approval Ratings

Critical Analysis

1. The 117th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2021, the new 118th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2023. The 1117th Congress began with a 25% approval rating. According to the data from the visual above, what is the current approval rating of the 117th Congress here near the end of their term?

2. Describe the change in the congressional approval rating over the course of the 117th Congress, .

3. Why do you think the approval rating of Congress increased right at the beginning of their term of office?

4. On November 8, 2022 American voters went to the polls to decide whether to keep in office 1/3 of the U.S. Senators and 100% of the House members. Based only on the fact that approximately 75% of Americans disapproved of the Congress, what would you expect the rate of reelection to be?

5. In fact, despite these dismal congressional approval ratings with both the House and Senate approval ratings being underwater (more disapproval than approval), approximately 95% of the House and 100% of the Senate was reelected. Why do you think such a high percent of congress was reelected?

6. If such a high rate of congress is reelected despite their unpopularity, does public opinion really matter to members of Congress, and does that impact how Congress governs?

7. According to the data from the visual below*, who is currently more popular with Independents: Joe Biden, or Congress?

8. According to the data from the visual below*, how has Biden’s approval changed over his first two years in office?

9. Based on the approval ratings of both congress and the president, explain whether you think POTUS Biden will be able to get legislation or policy through the divided Congress (Senate majority Democrat, House majority Republican).

10. Presidents usually have a period called the Honeymoon at the beginning of their term in office where they have relatively high popularity. According to the data form the visual below* when did Biden’s honeymoon end?

Learning Extension

Read more about congressional and presidential approval from Gallup.

Action Extension

Contact your president and let him know what he could do to increase his approval or decrease congresses approval?

Visual Extension*