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Parties in Congress

Do you approve or disapprove of the way [ROTATED] are handling their job?

The Republicans in Congress

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2007 Dec 14-16	26	68	5
2007 Aug 3-5	29	64	7
2007 Feb 9-11	33	59	8
2006 Jun 23-25	33	60	7
2005 Oct 21-23	38	58	4
2005 Apr 29-May 1	42	50	8
2003 Nov 14-16	48	49	3
2003 Oct 10-12	51	44	5
2002 Apr 5-7	59	30	11
2001 Aug 3-5	49	40	11
2001 Jun 8-10	49	43	8
2000 Aug 18-19	45	44	11
2000 Jul 25-26	46	39	15
2000 Apr 28-30	42	46	12
1999 Nov 4-7	38	53	9
1999 Oct 8-10	37	55	8
1999 Aug 16-18	36	53	11
1999 Jun 25-27	40	53	7

The Democrats in Congress

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2007 Dec 14-16	30	64	5
2007 Aug 3-5	37	55	7
2007 Feb 9-11	41	50	9
2006 Jun 23-25	38	55	8
2005 Oct 21-23	41	53	6
2005 Apr 29-May 1	40	52	8
2003 Nov 14-16	47	50	3
2003 Oct 10-12	45	48	7
2002 Apr 5-7	57	32	11
2001 Aug 3-5	52	38	10
2001 Jun 8-10	54	37	9
2000 Aug 18-19	56	34	10
2000 Jul 25-26	51	36	13
2000 Apr 28-30	46	42	12
1999 Nov 4-7	49	42	9
1999 Oct 8-10	48	44	8
1999 Aug 16-18	48	41	11
1999 Jun 25-27	46	46	8

Overall, how much do you think Congress has accomplished this year -- a great deal, a good amount, not too much, or nothing at all?

	Great deal	Good amount	Not too much	Nothing at all	No opinion
2007 Oct 12-14	4%	19	55	21	1

(Asked of those who say Congress has not accomplished very much or nothing at all this year) Do you think this is mostly the fault of -- [ROTATED: the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress] -- or do you think both are equally at fault?

	Democrats	Republicans	Both equally	Neither (vol.)	No opinion
2007 Oct 12-14	12%	13	73	1	1

Do you think the policies being proposed by -- [ROTATED: the Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate/the Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate] -- would move the country in the right direction or in the wrong direction?

A. The Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate

		Right direction	Wrong direction	No opinion
		%	%	%
2007 Jan 5-7 ^		35	54	11
2006 Jan 6-8		40	50	10
2005 Feb 4-6		50	36	14
2001 Aug 24-26		49	38	13
1999 Oct 8-10		54	35	11
1998 Nov 13-15		43	40	17
1998 Oct 23-25		47	33	20
1998 Jul 7-8		43	28	29
1997 Dec 18-21		44	36	20
1997 Apr 18-20		46	39	15
1996 Apr 9-10		45	41	14
1995 Dec 15-18		44	44	12
1995 Nov 6-8		44	41	15
1995 Sep 22-24		41	44	15
1995 Mar 27-29		53	37	10
1995 Feb 24-26		52	33	15
1994 Nov 28-29		55	27	18

^	Asked of a half sample.
	1994-1999: Asked as a stand alone question.

B. The Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate

		Right direction	Wrong direction	No opinion
		%	%	%
2007 Jan 5-7 ^		59	27	14
2006 Jan 6-8		44	43	14
2005 Feb 4-6		41	43	16
2002 Nov 8-10		47	36	17
2001 Aug 24-26		51	36	13

^	Asked of a half sample.

Who do you want to have more influence over the direction the nation takes in the next year - [ROTATED: George W. Bush (or) The Democrats in Congress]?

		Bush	Democrats in Congress	Both/neither (vol.)	No opinion
		%	%	%	%
2007 Jan 5-7 ^		32	63	4	2
2006 Nov 9-12		31	61	6	2
2002 Jan 11-14 ^		59	36	2	3
2001 Jul 10-11		50	38	9	3
2001 Jun 8-10		48	41	6	5
2001 Feb 9-11		48	41	8	3

^	Asked of a half sample.

Do you think the country would be better off if the Republicans controlled Congress, if the Democrats controlled Congress, or would the country be the same regardless of which party controlled Congress?

	Republicans	Democrats	Same regardless	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2006 Nov 2-5	25	34	35	6
2006 Jun 23-25	18	32	48	3
2004 Mar 5-7	25	31	39	5
2002 Nov 8-10	28	22	47	3
2002 Oct 31-Nov 3	25	27	42	6
1998 Oct 23-25	24	22	48	6

Do you think the Republicans in Congress or the Democrats in Congress would do a better job of dealing with each of the following issues and problems? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

A. Corruption in government

		Republicans	Democrats	No difference (vol.)	No opinion
		%	%	%	%
2006 Oct 6-8		28	49	16	7
2006 Jan 20-22 ^		31	40	19	10
2006 Jan 6-8 ^		32	44	19	6
2005 Oct 21-23		33	44	18	5

^	Asked as a stand alone question; not in rotation with other issues.

B. The economy

2006 Oct 6-8		36	54	7	4
2006 Mar 10-12		38	53	4	5
2005 Oct 21-23		38	50	9	3
2003 Jul 18-20		36	53	7	4
2003 Jan 3-5		43	42	10	5
2002 Jul 26-28		37	42	13	8
2002 Jun 28-30		44	40	10	6
2002 May 28-29 ^		43	34	13	10

^	Asked of a half sample.

C. Gas prices

2006 Oct 6-8	28	54	11	7
2005 Oct 21-23	31	51	13	5

D. Health care

2006 Oct 6-8		25	62	8	4
2005 Oct 21-23		30	59	7	4
2003 Jan 3-5 ^ †		35	50	9	6

^	Asked of a half sample.
†	WORDING: Health care costs

E. Immigration

2006 Oct 6-8

F. The situation in Iraq

2006 Oct 6-8		35	52	6	7
2006 Mar 10-12		40	48	6	6
2005 Oct 21-23		40	46	10	4
2003 Jul 18-20		51	36	7	6
2003 Jan 3-5 ^		53	29	12	6

^	Asked of a half sample.

G. Terrorism

2006 Oct 6-8		41	46	7	6
2006 Mar 10-12		45	41	7	7
2005 Oct 21-23		49	38	9	4
2003 Jul 18-20		55	29	10	6
2003 Jan 3-5 ^		55	27	13	5
2002 Oct 21-22		52	23	14	11
2002 Sep 20-22 ^		56	27	10	7
2002 Jun 28-30		57	22	13	8
2002 May 28-29 ^		51	19	19	11

^	Asked of a half sample.

D. Moral standards in the country

2006 Oct 6-8

Do you think the country would be better off if the Republicans controlled Congress, or if the Democrats controlled Congress?

		Republicans	Democrats	Neither (vol.)	Same (vol.)	No opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
2005 Nov 11-13		34	46	12	2	6
2005 Oct 13-16		32	45	12	4	7
2005 May 20-22		36	47	9	2	6
2004 Oct 22-24 ^		41	45	4	3	7
2004 Mar 26-28		39	41	7	4	9
2002 Jul 29-31		38	39	9	5	9
2002 Jul 5-8		40	39	11	3	7
2002 Jan 11-14		44	43	3	3	7
2001 Oct 5-6		38	37	11	7	7
2001 Aug 3-5		34	43	10	6	7
2001 Apr 20-22		41	43	6	3	7
2001 Jan 5-7		39	41	7	5	8
1999 Jul 16-18		37	42	12	2	7
1999 Jun 25-27		41	41	11	2	5
1999 May 23-24		36	37	14	4	9
1998 Dec 15-16		30	41	13	5	11
1998 Sep 23-24		35	41	11	3	10
1997 Aug 22-25		37	40	11	4	8
1997 Jul 25-27		37	39	11	5	8
1997 Jun 26-29		34	40	12	4	10
1996 Oct 26-29 ^^		39	42	7	2	10
1995 Dec 15-18		41	41	8	2	8
1995 Mar 27-29		45	33	10	4	8
1994 Oct 18-19		42	39	10	2	7

^	Asked of a half sample.
^^	Based on likely voters.

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