Just 22% of Americans Approve of Congress, Only 28% Approve of Their Own Representative

A new national University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll has found more than two-thirds—68%—of the American public continues to disapprove of Congress’s performance, and that while voters believe the primary cause of the legislative branch’s polarization is money in politics, they point to term and age limits as the top ways to reform Congress. 

The survey, conducted Aug. 21-26, found that just 22% of the 1,000 respondents approve of the way Congress is going its job, with only 3% strongly approving of it. Meanwhile, a plurality of 41% say they strongly disapprove of Congress’s performance.

The new UMass Amherst Poll also asked respondents about their expectations of members of Congress, including what they believe their most important responsibilities should be and what should be guiding members’ votes. The Poll also gauged respondents’ enthusiasm toward the upcoming midterm elections.

“2026 has not been a stellar year for the U.S. Congress,” Tatishe Nteta, provost professor of political science at UMass Amherst and director of the poll, says. “Members have faced allegations of domestic abuse, sexual harassment and staff misconduct, while congressional stock disclosures have raised questions about members profiting from investments, including those in companies they are responsible for regulating. All of this comes as Americans struggle with rising costs for gas, groceries, utilities, and housing and as Congress has passed just 102 laws this session, putting it on pace to become one of the least-productive Congresses in modern history. Against this backdrop, it is hardly surprising that 68% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing.”

“We asked people who disapprove of Congress to tell us why in their own words—nearly 4 in 10 talked about the failure to provide a check on the president. Others talked about corruption, failure to represent constituents and partisan gridlock," explains Alexander Theodoridis, associate professor of political science and co-director of the UMass Poll.

Nteta explains that Americans’ frustration with Congress is rooted in three concerns, “Congress has ceded too much power to the executive branch, the institution has become corrupt, and members are failing to adequately represent their constituents and address their needs,” he says. “With the midterm elections only months away, these deep frustrations with Congress could prove costly for incumbents in both parties as voters head to the polls increasingly dissatisfied with the representation they are receiving from Washington.”

“The conventional wisdom is that Americans hate Congress as an institution, but love their own elected representative,” says Jesse Rhodes, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll. “Our survey confirms that Americans hate Congress, as two-thirds currently disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job, but we find little evidence that Americans approve of their own representative. More Americans disapprove (38%) than approve (28%) of their member of Congress, and one 1 in 3 have no opinion at all. This is further evidence of the deep dissatisfaction of many Americans with their elected officials.”

“Democrats currently hold the enthusiasm advantage heading into the midterms,” La Raja explains. “Sixty-seven percent of Democrats are at least somewhat enthusiastic, compared with 59% of Republicans, and Democrats lead 42-30 among those who are very enthusiastic. That enthusiasm gap typically favors the party out of power, which helps them win seats. And we are seeing it again in this election.”

Theodoridis concurs, saying, “Midterm elections are historically unkind to a president’s party and, with Trump’s anemic approval ratings, widespread economic unease, and an unpopular conflict in Iran, 2026 is not shaping up to be an anomaly. Democratic candidates should be expected to have both historical and contextual wind in their sails. Accordingly, just before campaigns kick into their post-Labor Day high gear, we see evidence that Democrats are benefiting from an enthusiasm gap. In a generic U.S. House ballot question, Democrats enjoy a sizeable advantage. The U.S. Senate generic ballot only favors Democrats slightly, though, which shouldn’t be surprising as about two-thirds of the Senate seats up for grabs this year are in red states.”

La Raja notes that the most energized factions in both parties are on the extremes—within MAGA on the right and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) on the left.

“The political center may decide close elections, but the ideological wings are supplying much of the energy,” he says. “Enthusiasm falls by 43 points between the strongest MAGA Republicans and non-MAGA Republicans—81% to 38%—and  by 31 points between the strongest DSA-identifying Democrats and Democrats who reject that label—86% to 55%. The most committed voters are not merely at the extremes of the party, they are also much more likely to be motivated to turn out.”

Theodoridis adds that the man who sits at the Resolute Desk, though not personally on the ballot, is shaping up to have an outsized effect on the elections.

“Donald Trump appears to be a major motivator for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections,” he says. “More than 8 in 10 Democrats tell us they will be voting in significant part based on how they feel about the president. Only 49% of Republicans tell us the same thing about the figurehead of their party.”

And what role will the prototypical “swing voters”—independents—play in November?

“Independent voters are the missing piece in the midterm enthusiasm picture, as 71% say they are not too enthusiastic or not at all enthusiastic, including nearly half who are not enthusiastic at all,” says Raymond La Raja, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll. “The challenge for both parties is not simply going to be persuading independents. It will be actually getting them to show up at the polls or send in their ballot.”

• Field Dates:                 August 21 –26, 2026
• Sample:                        1,000 Respondents
• Margin of Error:         3.5%

The respondents were matched to a sampling frame on gender, age, race, and education. The sampling frame was constructed by stratified sampling from the full 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year sample with selection within strata by weighted sampling with replacements (using the person weights on the public use file).

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores. The matched cases and the frame were combined and a logistic regression was estimated for inclusion in the frame. The propensity score function included age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, region, and home ownership. The propensity scores were grouped into deciles of the estimated propensity score in the frame and post-stratified according to these deciles.

The weights were then raked (iterative proportional fitting) on 2024 presidential vote choice and post-stratified using a four-way stratification of gender, age (4-categories), race (4-categories), and education (4-categories), to produce the final weight.

Read more about the UMass Poll's methodology

Read more about the contributing members of the UMass Poll team

View the toplines from the September 3, 2026 National Public Opinion Poll release regarding congressional approval ratings and the midterm elections.

U.S. Congress Job Approval Over Time (N=1,000)

Do you approve or disapprove of the way the U.S. Congress is doing their job?

Approval of Respondent’s Representative in the U.S. House (N=1,000)

Do you approve or disapprove of the way (Respondent’s Representative in the U.S. House) is doing their job?

Approval of Member of Congress: Open-Ended Responses (N=275)

Only asked of respondents who expressed approval of the U.S. Congress.

In a sentence or two, please explain why you approve of (Insert R’s member of Congress).

Theme 1: Representation, Responsiveness, and Constituent Service (N=88)

These respondents approve of their member of Congress because they believe that their representative listens to their concerns, responds to their requests, and delivers benefits.

Illustrative response:

“I live in a rural bad part of the state which means we are the last to get funds. Hardly any politician comes physically to campaign. [Representative name] has done so regularly. Him and his staff do an amazing job to make themselves available to this area”

Theme 2: Policy Agreement and Shared Political Side (N=82)

Respondents in this theme approve of their representative because they believe that they represent their position on specific issues, their policy ideology, and their party identification.

Illustrative response:

“I agree with her stances on most issues.”

Theme 3: Diffuse Performance Approval (N=30)

These respondents generally believe that their member of Congress is “doing a good job”, but don’t provide much detail about how or in what ways.

Illustrative response:

“I think he’s doing a good job”

Theme 4: Personal Character, Integrity, and Local Connection (N=42)

Respondents in this theme emphasize the personal characteristics of their representative rather than policy positions, highlighting personal character, integrity, and understanding of the district as key virtues.

Illustrative response:

“She is part of the Community. She knows what it’s like to have to work for a living”

Theme 5: Low Salience: Nothing Bad Heard, and No Better Option (N=18)

Respondents in this category note themes like they haven’t heard anything bad about the member of Congress, or that the candidate is the best available option.

Illustrative response:

“Because I never heard of anything negative”

Disapproval of Member of Congress: Open-Ended Responses (N=392)

Only asked of respondents who expressed disapproval of the U.S. Congress.

In a sentence or two, please explain why you disapprove of (Insert R’s member of Congress).

Theme 1: Neglect of the District: Absent, Unresponsive, Ineffective (N=81)

These respondents disapprove of their member because they believe that the representative fails to serve the district. Common complaints include: a lack of interest/understanding of the district, a failure to advance legislation, and an unwillingness to spend political capital on issues constituents care about.

Illustrative response:

“[Representative Name] has done nothing for me and my fellow constituents as he never introduces legislation on our behalf, never holds town halls, and openly does not welcome any feedback if said feedback comes from a democrat who lives in his Congressional district.”

Theme 2: Subservience to the President and Party (N=77)

These respondents disapprove of their member of Congress on the grounds that their representative is too beholden to the president or their political party.

Illustrative response:

“STRAIGHT LINE DEMOCRAT VOTING HER PARTY, RATHER THAN HER CONSTITUENCY.”

Theme 3: Ideological and Policy Disagreement (N=67)

Disapproval among these respondents is based on perceived ideological and policy disagreement with the representative.

Illustrative response:

“His opposition to minority rights and women’s rights, as well as his opposition to good legislation.”

Theme 4: Personal Unfitness: Dishonesty, Character, and Competence (N=46)

These respondents disapprove of their representative because they believe the representative suffers from a serious character flaw, such as dishonesty or lack of personal principles.

Illustrative response:

“She does not tell the truth on key local or national issues.”

Theme 5: Corruption, Self-enrichment, and Capture by Money (N=39)

These respondents perceive that their member of Congress is engaged in corruption, self-dealing, and/or is captured by special interests.

Illustrative response:

“The guy has been in power for years and only lines his pockets”

Approval of Congress: Open-Ended Responses (N=190)

Only asked of respondents who expressed approval of the U.S. Congress.

In a sentence or two, please explain why you approve of the U.S. Congress.

Theme 1: Doing the Job (N=43)

These respondents approve because Congress is, in their view, doing what it is supposed to do.

Illustrative response:

“They’re doing their job”

Theme 2: Constitutional Role and Checks on Executive Power (N=39)

Respondents in this theme emphasize the important role of Congress in the United States’ constitutional system.

Illustrative response:

“Congress is responsible for making laws and overseeing the executive branch.”

Theme 3: Good-faith Effort amid Conflict and Obstruction (N=28)

These respondents approve on the basis of intentions rather than results. The explanations are consistent — “they are doing the best they can,” and they are almost always paired with an account of what is preventing them from doing better.

Illustrative response:

“They have produced positive results under very difficult circumstances”

Theme 4: Partisan and Presidential-agenda Alignment (N=23)

Respondents who emphasize this theme are Republicans who support Congress because it is controlled by Republicans and work with President Trump.

Illustrative response:

“Republicans control Congress and I’m Republican. Democratic socialists are ruining the great country of the USA”

Theme 5: Serving and Representing the People (N=23)

Respondents in this theme approve of Congress because, in their view, Congress represents Americans’ interests, talks about their concerns, and produces policies that help them.

Illustrative response:

“I approve that the U.S. Congress makes laws that benefit lower income people.”

Disapproval of Congress: Open-Ended Responses (N=698)

Only asked of respondents who expressed disapproval of the U.S. Congress.

In a sentence or two, please explain why you disapprove of the U.S. Congress.

Theme 1: Capitulation to the President and the Collapse of Checks and Balances (N=258)

Respondents in this theme criticize Congress for failing to check the power of the president, arguing that Congress too often acts as a “rubber stamp” for the president’s initiatives/demands.

Illustrative response:

“Congress has abandoned its legislative role and is now subordinate to the executive branch.”

Theme 2: Corruption, Self-dealing, and Capture by Money (N=116)

Respondents in this theme complain that Congress is captured by organized interests, and that members of Congress are primarily motivated by money and power.

Illustrative response:

“I think members of Congress are only concerned about staying in office and care more about getting elected and raising money to get elected than doing the jobs they are elected to do.”

Theme 3: Failure to Represent Constituents and Address their Needs (N=112)

These respondents disapprove of Congress because they believe that Congress is failing to respond to the needs of constituents.

Illustrative response:

“They are not passing laws that Americans genuinely want, nor are they listening to the voices of their constituents.”

Theme 4: A Do-nothing Congress: Inaction and Ineffectiveness (N=76)

These respondents disapprove of Congress because they perceive that it “doesn’t do anything” – in their view, it doesn’t pass laws, enact budgets, or address the business of the American people.

Illustrative response:

“They don’t ever accomplish anything. They are on vacation more than they are in session.”

Theme 5: Partisanship: Infighting, Gridlock, and Party over Country (N=69)

These respondents disapprove of Congress because they believe that it has succumbed to partisanship. In the view of these respondents, partisan conflict has prevented compromise and cooperation, and led members of Congress to focus on bickering, grandstanding, and party positioning.

Illustrative response:

“They spend too much time fighting each other and not enough time fixing problems that affects working people”

Most Important Job of the U.S. Congress (N=1,000)

Of the following, which do you think is the most important job of the U.S. Congress?

Role of Congress Member: Delegate v. Trustee (N=1,000)

Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?

When voting on legislation . . .

Support for Congress Member's Bipartisanship (N=1,000)

Do you support or oppose your member of Congress…

Most Important Reasons Congress Has Become Politically Polarized (N=1,000)

Which of the following do you think are the three most important reasons Congress has become so politically polarized?

Most Important Reforms to Make Congress Work Better (N=1,000)

From the following list, select the three reforms to the U.S. Congress that you think are the most important for making Congress work better.

Midterm Voting Enthusiasm by Party Affiliation, Aug 2026 and Mar. 2026 (N=1,000)

How enthusiastic are you about voting in the 2026 midterm election?

U.S. House Vote Intention (N=1,000)

Looking ahead to the 2026 midterm congressional election, if this election were being held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your congressional district?

U.S. Senate Vote Intention (N=631)

Only shown to respondents in the following states: AL, AK, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MS, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WY

Looking ahead to the 2026 midterm congressional election, if this election were being held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in the Senate election?

Feelings About Trump as Motivation for 2026 Congressional Vote (N=1,000)

Ask only of respondents who indicate they will vote in the 2026 congressional elections.

Do you agree or disagree with the following? In the 2026 congressional elections, I will be voting in significant part based on how I feel about President Donald Trump.

Demographic Breakdown of the University of Massachusetts Amherst August 2026 National Poll

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.

* Thematic Analysis of Congressional Approval

Data and Method

Data. 707 and 570 respondents who expressed substantive responses explaining their approval or disapproval of the U.S. Congress and their member of the U.S. House of Representatives respectively.

Method. Inductive thematic coding, conducted separately for each candidate group. Five substantive themes were derived per group, plus a sixth residual category for responses that state no interpretable reason (Don’t know, Unclear, NA). Each response is assigned to exactly one theme; where a response raised multiple considerations, it was assigned based on its leading or explicitly decisive claim.

View the crosstabs for the September 3, 2026 National Public Opinion Poll release regarding congressional approval ratings and the midterm elections.

U.S. Congress Job Approval (% Approve)

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.

Role of Congress Member: Delegate v. Trustee

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.

Support for Congress Member's Bipartisanship (% Support)

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.

Midterm Voting Enthusiasm by Party Affiliation, Aug 2026 and Mar. 2026

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.

Feelings About Trump as Motivation for 2026 Congressional Vote

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.

Demographic Breakdown of the University of Massachusetts Amherst August 2026 National Poll

* MAGA results include only Republican respondents.

** DSA results include only Democratic respondents.