Opinion Poll 2014: Gallup Says Americans' Confidence in Supreme Court, Congress Drops to Historic Lows
A new poll shows that Americans' confidence in Congress and the Supreme Court has fallen to new lows.
In the new Gallup poll, Americans' confidence in all three branches has fallen. Confidence in the Supreme Court has fallen to 30 percent, confidence in the Congress has fallen to 7 percent, and confidence in the presidency has fallen to 29 percent, a six-year low. Confidence in the presidency has dropped the most, seven points from its previous rating, 36 percent.
The poll results come from a survey conducted June 5-8 that asks Americans about their confidence in 16 U.S. institutions, ranging from government to business, that they either read about or are actively engaged with.
Americans have always had less confidence in Congress, but low confidence in the presidency is catching up. The presidency and the Supreme Court have been the more trusted branches of government since 1991, the first year Gallup began polling Americans on their confidence in government.
Confidence in the presidency has fallen seven points since June 2013, confidence in the Supreme Court four points and in Congress three points. Confidence in the three branches also fell from 2012 to 2013.
Confidence in the presidency has also fallen to its lowest point under President Barack Obama, as has confidence in the Supreme Court and Congress. Confidence in all three branches increased when Obama took office in 2009, up from a low of 25 under President George W. Bush.
Gallup began polling about the presidency in 1991, when 72 percent of Americans had confidence in the presidency of George H.W. Bush. The high confidence level followed his success in the first Gulf War, when his approval rating was a then-record 89 percent. It fell to 50 percent in October 1991.
In 2009, Obama had the best first-year confidence rating of the subsequent three presidents, at 51 percent, but had lower ratings than Clinton or George W. Bush in each succeeding year.
President George W. Bush had a high confidence rating of 90 pecent after 9/11 in a show of "rally around the flag" solidarity. However, his second-term approval rating fell, as did confidence in the presidency.
Clinton had higher approval ratings due to a strong economy, with 53 percent in June 1998, despite the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Regardless of the scandal, confidence in Clinton's presidency was higher than for either of his successors.
Gallup has been polling on confidence in the Supreme Court since 1973, with record highs in 1985 and 1988 under President Ronald Reagan.
Supreme Court confidence was in the 40s and 50s from 1973 to 2006. It nosedived to 34 percent in 2007, a year after Bush confirmed his second nominee to the court. Since then, confidence in the Supreme Court has not inched past 40 percent.
Americans have the least confidence in the legislative branch and have more faith in the police and military than in any branch of the federal government. Fewer than one in 10 Americans have confidence in Congress, and the low confidence in the presidency is not favorable for Obama's ability to govern and get the public to support his policies.
With the drop in confidence in the presidency, another Gallup poll this month shows that public approval of Obama's handling of immigration has dropped to 31 percent, among the lowest since 2010. Nearly two in three Americans disapprove of his handling of the issue.
Obama's approval on immigration has dropped since August across all political parties, with Democratic approval ratings falling to 60 percent and only 8 percent of Republicans approving of his handling of the issue.
Adding to the disapproval of the issue is the ongoing stalemate in Congress over a comprehensive immigration reform bill, as well as Obama's delay of a review of deportation policies. The recent increase in unaccompanied migrant children crossing the border and Border Patrol's struggles in handling the crisis add to complications for the Obama administration.
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