When it comes to the most important institutions of the nation that Americans hear about or deal with on a daily basis, such as public schools, the police, the military, banks, and Congress, Americans need those institutions to have several important qualities. This includes the important characteristics of the institution being perceived as working in the people’s best interest, being able to take care of its function in a timely fashion, and being responsive to specific situations. With institutions like the police, which rated very high on the Gallup Poll with 58 percent of people saying they had “quite a lot of confidence” in it, people’s confidence is bolstered because they can dial 911 when there is a crisis and almost immediate resolution for problems occurs (Jones 2008, p. 4). On the other side of things, Congress rates the lowest out of all the institutions polled about. Some theories about why it is so low include the persistence of the war in Iraq, high gas prices, and immigration issues that influence the public’s view of Congress (Jones 2008, p. 4).
However, perhaps the biggest obstacle to public Confidence is its lack of perceived ability to respond to crisis or, even worse, perform the regularly expected daily and yearly functions of the government, such as economic issues. A lot of publicity has surrounded Congress’s apparent problems in dealing with the economy, with mass media coverage keeping the negative light on Congress. For example, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was quoted as saying he was “‘not confident at all’ that Congress and the White House could strike a major debt deal” and international credit rating institutions have stated they would downgrade the nation’s credit rating if action was not taken in time, (Berman 2012, paras. 1, 3). Phrases like “Fiscal Cliff” loomed across the headlines. Apparently, all of this is Congress’s fault. Despite being elected by the people, the institution is perceived as being subject to the desires and dollars of special interests rather than the needs of Americans.
Unlike crisis such as hurricanes that cannot be avoided, the public perceives the partisan politics of Congress as self-important, special interest favoring, and simply stubborn political tactics leading to crises such as the “fiscal cliff” that are invented and unnecessary. Unlike the police, which responds immediately after dialing 911, Congress appears to people as unwilling to take action on even mundane matters like passing a budget. This is something Congress must do every year. It leaves people to wonder how a true national crisis would be handled. It makes people believe that their best interests are not at the forefront of Congress’s agenda. Because Congress is not perceived as working in the people’s best interest, being able to take care of its function in a timely fashion, and being responsive to specific situations, the people’s confidence in this institution is exceptionally low.
References
Berman, Russell (9 Sep. 2012). Boehner 'not confident' that Congress, Obama will strike debt deal. The Hill. Retrieved from http://thehill.com/homenews/house/248739-boehner-not-confident-at-all-that-debt-deal-will-be-struck
Jones, Jeffrey (20 Jun. 2008). Confidence in Congress: Lowest Ever for Any U.S. Institution. Gallup Poll.
