U.S. Congress experiences steep decline in public approval
In a move towards strengthening privacy rights, the House Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved the Email Privacy Act. This legislation aims to protect Americans' emails from government surveillance by requiring law enforcement to obtain warrants from court before compelling companies to hand over access to emails. The Act applies to emails on services like Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Whatsapp, and regular email.
However, the U.S. Congress is currently facing a low approval rating, with an approval rating of 13% as it reconvenes this week. This low approval is primarily driven by intense partisan polarization, public dissatisfaction with government effectiveness, and political gridlock. Over time, this trend has shown persistent lows, with approval often dipping below 20%, reflecting widening party gaps and public frustration with Congress’s functioning.
Key factors contributing to the low approval rating include:
- Partisan Polarization: Approval sharply divides along party lines, with supporters generally approving when their party controls Congress and disapproving when the other party does. This has resulted in record party gaps in approval ratings and depressed overall approval when control is divided between parties, leading to the lowest ratings among independents and the public overall.
- Political Gridlock and Ineffectiveness: Americans often perceive Congress as failing to address critical national issues like the economy, tariffs, and political extremism, contributing to a sense that the government is not working well.
- Media and Political Climate: A highly polarized media environment amplifies scrutiny and criticism of Congressional actions, reinforcing public dissatisfaction.
Regarding the evolution over time, gallup data shows that Congressional approval was in the low 20% range from 2021 through early 2025, with a slight rebound to 29% in February 2025. Historical lows have sometimes been below 10%, especially during periods of divided government or intense partisan conflict.
Meanwhile, a majority of Americans believe that politicians should be banned by law from trading stocks, due to the perceived unfair advantage they hold in the stock market. Two proposed exchange traded funds aim to capitalize on this belief.
In a separate development, U.S. legislators have urged Facebook and Google to resist Vietnam's new cybersecurity law. The details of this law and the actions taken by the tech giants are not specified in the available information.
References: [1] Gallup, Inc. (2025). Congressional approval ratings. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-approval.aspx [3] Pew Research Center (2024). Public trust in government. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/19/public-trust-in-government-2024/ [5] Brookings Institution (2023). The state of Congress. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-state-of-congress/
- Despite the unanimous approval of the Email Privacy Act in the House Judiciary Committee, which aims to enhance policy-and-legislation to protect Americans' emails from government surveillance, the U.S. Congress' overall approval rating remains abysmally low, primarily due to factors such as partisan polarization, political gridlock, and public dissatisfaction.
- Beyond the Email Privacy Act, there is a growing interest among the public for stricter legislation, with a majority advocating for a ban on politicians trading stocks due to perceived unfair advantages in the stock market, a reflection of the current general-news climate that focuses on ethical conduct in politics.
