I am the 13 Percent: A Defense of Congress

Eric Cantor and Barack Obama shake hands

Americans can’t agree on much: what the wealthy should pay in taxes, what government’s role should be in providing medical care or if Khloe Kardashian is really a Kardashian. However, the vast majority of Americans do agree on one thing– Congress is not doing a good job.

A recent ABC/News Washington Post Poll showed that just 13 percent of the country approves of the job that Congress is doing. From President Obama chastising the institution in Tuesday’s State of the Union to nearly every GOP candidate’s mission to paint their opponents as “Washington Insiders” (generally with a strong sense of hypocrisy), our elected officials have have done their best to tap into the anti-Congress sentiment.

Indeed, the first session of the 112th Congress was characterized by partisan squabbling. The United States nearly defaulted on its debt and the government narrowly averted shutting down numerous times as a direct result of political games of chicken. The failure of Congress to adequately address the major economic issues affecting this country is no doubt the root cause of its dismal approval rating. However, solving the financial crisis, lowering unemployment and reducing the deficit are not simple tasks that can be addressed overnight.

I approve of the hard work that members of Congress are putting in to address some of the most challenging issues ever facing our nation. I am the 13 percent.

President Obama speaks with House and Senate leaders. | Photo Courtesy of White House photographer Pete Souza via Wikimedia Commons

Simply put, legislating is not easy. In case you are a communist or Canadian and have never watched School House Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” video, the legislative process is a long and arduous one that requires a significant amount of consensus from a wide, diverse body of legislators representing an even more diverse group of interests. The writers of the Constitution specifically designed it that way to ensure that policy is not subject to rash decisions and requires careful consideration. The trade off is that it makes the legislative process take a long time.

More often than not, members of Congress work incredibly hard to balance the insatiable demands of their constituents. In nearly all offices, countless hours are spent tracking constituent opinions, responding to constituent concerns about pieces of legislation and working with other officials to craft policy that satisfies a plurality of interests. It is naive to suggest that lawmakers are doing anything besides trying to do what will please their constituents. After all–that is what gets them re-elected.

So, what then explains why Congress has a lower approval rating than BP during the infamous oil spill of 2010? A large part of the blame falls on the media. Even the most reputable news organizations focus on the conflict and the dog fight between the two parties. While covering the dog fight may boost advertising revenue, it does not tell the full story.

It would be disingenuous to argue that there were not instances where political incentives got in the way of policymaking. A great deal of blame for the failure of the “Grand Bargain” during the summer debt talks can be attributed to the stubbornness of freshman House Republicans and the personal ambition of Majority Leader Eric Cantor who forced Speaker Boehner to fold on the deal. As frustrating as this was, remember that many of these representatives were elected on hard-line policies and were likely trying to vote along the platforms their constituents elected them into office on. The media did a much better job addressing the failure of the talks than they did at highlighting how close the two parties were to a bargain, what the public thought of the deal or what the policies actually were. This is not to say that they were right in rejecting this would-be historic compromise, but the idea that a group of rogue congressmen sought to bring harm to this nation is naive and uninformed.

By focusing on the failures instead of the successes of Congress, the media creates a vicious cycle in which if the electorate believes Congress is doing a poor job representing it, less people will participate, and Congress will indeed do a poor job of representing the public interest. The public’s cynical attitude towards the legislative process will ultimately prevent this nation from addressing its most serious problems.

This effect can already be seen in how polarized the political parties are today. With low voter turnout in mid-term elections, only the most partisan voters participate, further polarizing the political parties and thereby reducing Congress’ ability to compromise. Americans criticize Congress’ inability to meet half-way on the big issues, but voters are simply electing fewer moderate legislators who are willing to compromise.

In the end, Congress has always addressed the most serious issues. The U.S. responded with precision and force after 9/11 and has been incredibly successful at curbing terrorism in part due to increased defense budgets that originated in Congress. The financial system ultimately did not collapse because Congress passed the bailout. There is no doubt that the legislative process can be frustrating. Serious problems take serious solutions that will not come overnight–especially in a legislative process as deliberate as the U.S.’ and with Democrats and Republicans as ideologically far apart as they are today. There might be bickering and political chicken in the years ahead, but just like every other crisis of the 20th century, Congress will solve this one.

About Ian Moskowitz

Ian is a senior in CAS studying political science.

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4 Comments on “I am the 13 Percent: A Defense of Congress”

  1. This was a great article but there were some serious spelling errors that I found very distracting.

    8th paragraph down last sentence “rouge”, I’m pretty sure that is supposed to be rogue. Last paragraph, second sentence, “precion” I think you mean precision.

    Spell check would have caught at least one of these.

  2. This was certainly an interesting perspective, but I think it’s also somewhat naive.

    Most people do not expect congress to solve the financial crisis, lower unemployment and reduce the deficit overnight, but we do expect Congress to pass some bills and a federal budget. When we haven’t had a federal budget in several years (instead operating under a continuing resolution), and we come within days of a federal government shutdown and within hours of not raising the debt limit, as you noted, that is not just dealing with difficult problems- it is obstinacy and refusing to compromise (primarily on the part of Congressional Republicans). Frankly, our political process has largely broken down in a lot of ways, due to extreme polarization, the takeover of the Republican party by fringe elements, and refusal to compromise.

    I don’t intend to tear you down, because I also acknowledge that legislating is difficult, and think that many congresspeople are working incredibly hard. However, I do think your statement “it is naive to suggest that lawmakers are doing anything besides trying to do what will please their constituents” is naive itself, because with the high rate of re-election for incumbents, corporate cash decreasing or negating the need to rely on individuals for donations, and public apathy and disenfranchisment, focusing on pleasing their constituents is the last thing on many lawmakers’ minds.

    I also think it’s interesting that you said “focusing on the failures rather than the successes of Congress,” because there have honestly been precious few successes in the 112th Congress. (I did see some of those celebrated in the media , such as the bill that Pres. Obama signed into law last fall providing incentives for employers to hire recent veterans). However, when the House of Representatives is passing bills that would allow hospitals to watch women die rather than compromise their religious convictions- that is what the media is going to focus on, because it is extreme, dangerous, and represents what has become the status-quo in Congress.

    Again, not to tear you down- this is a very thought-provoking article, but I thought it was a little unrealistic and took a somewhat rosy view of the situation. It’s obviously your prerogative to support Congress, but I think that some of the bases you’re supporting them on are a little dubious.

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