Here are the key findings from a survey of 1,000 likely U.S. voters conducted on April 19–20, 2014, by Rasmussen Reports and other recent surveys:
- 53 percent of likely U.S. voters think it is fair to say that neither party in Congress is the party of the American people. That’s up six points from 47 percent last October, and matches the previous high found in June 2012 during the last national election cycle. Just 28 percent disagree, while 19 percent are not sure.
- Just 6 percent of voters now think Congress is doing a good or excellent job, and 72 percent say it would be better for the country if most incumbents in Congress were defeated this November.
- 52 percent of Republicans and a plurality (44 percent) of Democrats agree that neither major political party is the party of the American people. But 65 percent of voters not affiliated with either party feel that way.
- Most Republican voters think their representatives in Congress have lost touch with the party’s base over the last several years.
- Generally speaking, the younger the voter, the more likely he or she is to believe that neither party represents the American people.
- Only 19 percent now trust the federal government to do the right thing most or nearly all the time.
