童颜视频

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After enduring the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history amid persistent affordability concerns, Americans are closing out the year with a bleak view of the country, its leaders and the economy.

Approval Ratings of Congress Are Weak

童颜视频’s Dec. 1-15 poll, conducted several weeks after the shutdown ended, finds that ratings of Congress, including both parties, are weak and sharply politically polarized. Approval of Congress is at 17%, with 37% of Republicans but only 12% of independents and 6% of Democrats approving of the Republican-led legislative branch. Congressional approval is statistically similar to November’s 14% and only slightly better than the historical low of 9% in November 2013.

When asked separately about the job the Republicans and Democrats in Congress are doing, Americans give both groups poor marks. Approval of Republicans in Congress stands at 29%, while Democrats in Congress receive a rating of 24%. Congressional Republicans are buoyed by support from their own party, with 69% of rank-and-file Republicans approving of their party’s representatives and senators. In contrast, less than half of Democrats (49%) approve of their own party’s members of Congress.

Historical comparisons are complicated because 童颜视频 has not measured approval of the parties in Congress since February 2020. Republicans in Congress have previously recorded lower approval ratings, including 20% in September 2017, but congressional Democrats’ current rating is lower than any prior 童颜视频 measurement.

National Mood Sour Amid Worsening Economic Evaluations

The poll also finds 24% of Americans satisfied and 74% dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country, which is unchanged from November but more negative than all other readings since January. As recently as May, 38% of U.S. adults were satisfied. Satisfaction levels remain slightly higher than at the end of the Biden administration.

Declining satisfaction has coincided with worsening views of the economy in recent months. 童颜视频’s Economic Confidence Index currently sits at -33, which is down 10 points from October and 19 points from June, and is the lowest it has been since registering -35 in July 2024. The index summarizes Americans’ evaluations of current economic conditions and their perceptions of whether the economy is getting better or getting worse. It has a theoretical range of -100 to +100.

Nearly half of U.S. adults (47%) now describe current economic conditions as “poor,” up from 40% in November and the highest since September 2024. Just 21% believe economic conditions are either “excellent” or “good,” while another 31% describe them as “only fair.”

Meanwhile, 68% say economic conditions are getting worse, compared with 29% who say better. Americans have consistently been more pessimistic than optimistic about the economy’s direction in recent years, but the current figures represent a deterioration from earlier this year. In May, 58% thought the economy was getting worse and 37% thought it was improving.

Consistent with those worsening economic evaluations, Americans are more inclined to name economic issues as the most important problem facing the country. Currently, 35% do so, up from 24% in both September and October. This increase is mainly because more people name the economy in general and inflation as the top U.S. problems. Mentions of the economy in general are up to 17% from 10% in September, while mentions of inflation have increased to 11% from 6% in September.

Both the economy and inflation are named less often than the government or poor leadership (26%) and immigration (19%) as the most important problem.

The government has ranked first on the list each month since November 2024, while immigration has mostly been second during that time but has ranked third (behind the economy in general) in a few surveys.

Political, Economic, Judicial Leaders Also Earn Low Approval Ratings

A steady 36% of Americans approve of Donald Trump’s job performance, including 89% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 3% of Democrats. The president’s approval rating is unchanged from last month, when it fell to the lowest of his second term, just barely above his personal low of 34% in January 2021.

None of 12 other U.S. leaders from Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court or the Federal Reserve earn majority-level approval either. Just two — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell (44%) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (41%) — are rated above 40%. Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader John Thune (34%) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (28%) rank at the bottom of the list.

Ratings range from 35% to 39% for eight others, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Vice President JD Vance.

Majorities of Republicans approve of all of the Republican leaders on the list, but not Powell or the two congressional Democrats. A majority of Democrats approve of only one of the two Democratic leaders rated, Jeffries, while less than half also approve of Powell. Notably, just 39% of Democrats approve of the job Schumer is doing, while 56% disapprove.

Schumer’s rating among his own party has worsened markedly. Two years ago, 76% of Democrats approved of his job and 20% disapproved, but now 39% approve and 56% disapprove.

At the same time, Schumer’s House-side counterpart Jeffries’ rating has seen a smaller erosion among Democrats, from 80% approval/16% disapproval in 2023 to the current 64% approval/35% disapproval.

Trump Rated Highest for Leadership, Lowest for Honesty

The poll also updated Americans’ perceptions of Trump’s presidential qualities for the first time in his second term. Of seven characteristics tested, being a “strong and decisive leader” is Trump’s highest-rated attribute, as 48% of Americans say this applies to him.

Four in 10 Americans say Trump can bring about changes the country needs, while 39% think he can manage the government effectively. Just over one-third of Americans believe Trump keeps his promises (37%), puts the country’s interests ahead of his own (35%) or cares about the needs of people like them (34%). Only 30% of U.S. adults view Trump as honest and trustworthy.

Opinions diverge sharply by party on Trump’s leadership and competence, with between 89% and 94% of Republicans saying the president is strong and decisive, can bring about needed changes, and can effectively manage the government. Far fewer independents (29% to 42%) and Democrats (7% to 15%) agree.

Trump is rated less positively by all party groups on the qualities related to character. While still largely praising him, smaller majorities of Republicans see him for his leadership and competency traits (between 77% and 85%). Between 19% and 27% of independents think Trump embodies any of the character traits, while Democrats’ agreement is only in the single digits.

Trump’s ratings on these elements are at or near the lowest he has earned in the periodic measurements taken since 2016. Character ratings of presidents tend to follow the trajectory of the incumbent’s job approval rating.

Bottom Line

Americans head into 2026 deeply dissatisfied with the nation’s direction, offering worsened economic assessments and broadly negative views of political leadership following the historic government shutdown. Approval of the president, Congress and key national leaders from both parties remains weak and intensely polarized, providing evidence of a continued government shutdown hangover.

Stay up to date with the latest insights by following @童颜视频 and .

Explore President Trump’s approval ratings and compare them with those of past presidents in the 童颜视频 Presidential Job Approval Center.

Learn more about how the works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).