High Approval for members of Congress

Low Approval for Congress«

Individual Members

• Serve constituents
• Run against Congress
• Emphasize personal style and outreach to constituents
• Covered by local media in generally positive terms
• Respond quickly to most constituent needs and inquiries
• Are able to highlight personal goals and accomplishments

Congress as an Institution

• Resolves national issues with difficulty or not at all
• Has Few defenders
• Operates as collegial body that is difficult for citizens to understand
• Covered by national media, often negatively (focus on scandals and conflicts)
• Moves slowly with cumbersome processes that inhibit rapid responses
• Has many voices but none can speak clearly for Congress as a whole

Randall Ripley, (1978) "Congress: Process and Public Policy," Norton