approval · 1955 polls · 33 sources · 1974 → 2026
Congress (institutional) approval
Today (2026)
25%
approve · 2026
First reading
34%
1974 · yougov
52-year shift
-8pp
falling
Polls
1955
polls
Sources
33
yougov · the-bullfinch-group · gallup
approve % · 1974 → 2026LOESS-smoothed · raw dots underlaid
Story arc
VerifiedCongress (institutional) approval stood at 15% approve and 66% disapprove in a YouGov poll fielded through June 29 [1][2], matching Gallup's June 15 reading of 15% approve and 79% disapprove [4]. The Bullfinch Group recorded a higher approve figure of 36% on June 16 [3], down from 40% in its June 2 poll [6]. The most recent YouGov result (15% approve) compares to YouGov's own May 26 reading of 17% approve and 67% disapprove [8], a 2-point dip in approval within that pollster's series.
approve over time
LOESS CONSENSUS
1955 polls
BIAS-CORRECTED
House effects removed
INDIVIDUAL POLLS
raw readings
EVENT
curated
By administration
Average approve during each presidency, from the smoothed series.
Ford · 1974–1977
34%
avg approve
Carter · 1977–1981
34%
+0pp vs Ford
Reagan · 1981–1989
35%
+1pp vs Carter
Bush 41 · 1989–1993
36%
+1pp vs Reagan
Clinton · 1993–2001
37%
+1pp vs Bush 41
Bush 43 · 2001–2009
31%
−6pp vs Clinton
Obama · 2009–2017
13%
−18pp vs Bush 43
Trump · 2017–2021
17%
+4pp vs Obama
Biden · 2021–2025
21%
+4pp vs Trump
Trump 2 · 2025–now
24%
+3pp vs Biden
Pollster house effects
Pollsters on this topic · 29
D-LEAN
NEUTRAL
R-LEAN
MOST ALIGNED
Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies
-0.0pp
Track record matches consensus to within 0.0 pp across 1 polls.
LARGEST HOUSE EFFECT
Marquette University Law School
+3.0pp
Consistently overstates support relative to consensus; weight in aggregate is downgraded accordingly.
Who's divided
21pp
Party divides Americans most on this topic.
republican 28% approve · democrat 7% · widest spread of any dimension
Dimension
0% approvePOP AVG 23%100%
Spreadparty
3 subgroups
democrat 7
independent 7
republican 28
21pp
age
4 subgroups
18-29 28
30-44 17
45-64 11
65+ 11
17pp
race
4 subgroups
white 15
black 10
hispanic 20
other 19
10pp
education
4 subgroups
hs or less 18
some college 16
college grad 14
postgrad 10
8pp
gender
2 subgroups
male 17
female 14
3pp
The party gap over time
Democrats and Republicans are 21 points apart today — 14pp narrower than in 2009.
democrat7%independent7%republican28%APPROVE % BY SUBGROUP
What's changed
1974
Watergate era
34%
1998
Clinton impeached
37%
2001
Post-9/11 rally
36%
2008
Financial crisis · TARP
21%
2013
Government shutdown — record lows
11%
2021
January 6 Capitol attack
20%