Americans have little faith in the federal government’s ability to govern.
In a new CNN poll conducted by researcher SSRS, nearly 70% of Americans said that the federal government, including the President and Congress, have done a poor job of governing. Forty-three percent of respondents said that the federal government’s current governing is the worst they’ve seen “in their lifetimes,” according to CNN. Only 19% of Americans could bring themselves to say the federal government is doing a good job.
The poll, which was conducted between January 30 and February 2 with 1,011 American adults, followed the longest government shutdown on record, as President Donald Trump and Democrats, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, battled it out over billions Trump had wanted for a border wall. The President ultimately signed a bill to reopen the government for three weeks. That deadline is looming on February 15.
According to CNN’s poll, 40% of Americans approve of the job the President is doing, paling in comparison to the 55% who disapprove. Pelosi, meanwhile, scored a favorable rating of 42%, compared to 47% of people who said that they view her unfavorably.
Predictably, the government shutdown—and how to avoid it—is still on the minds of Americans. CNN found that 53% of Americans would support legislation that banned government shutdowns.