New poll shows slight thaw for Biden approval, resilient support for Trump – By Laura Santhanam (PBS Newshour) / Dec 15, 2022
Once Republicans reclaim House control in January, the U.S. will again be under a divided government, and according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll, a majority of Americans have no confidence that lawmakers will be willing to work together to solve the nation’s complex problems. That’s despite the fact that most of the American public support them working toward compromise instead of partisan gridlock.
Here are some of the new poll’s top takeaways.
More people give Congress credit for getting work done, but aren’t optimistic about the future
After the Democratic-led Congress forged legislative breakthroughs on infrastructure, climate change, gun safety and same-sex marriage, about a quarter of Americans — 24 percent — said this body has done more than other recent sessions. That’s up from 15 percent in 2018 and the biggest thumbs-up Americans have given Congress’ productivity since October 1998.
Despite the significant jump, that opinion is still the minority: 40 percent of Americans say Congress has done less than others in recent years, and a third of U.S. adults say members of this Congress have been about as productive as their predecessors.
