Congress Sinks to New Low in Public Perception of Ethical Standards
Dec 14th, 2009 • Posted in: NewsGallup poll finds that, for the first time in survey’s history, a majority of respondents say congressmen have “low” or “very low” ethical standards — ranking them below car salesmen
WASHINGTON
A majority of polled Americans say members of the U.S. Congress have “low” or “very low” ethical standards, the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll of Ethics in the Professions that Congress has dropped to the bottom half of the survey.
UPI reports that congressmen rank below car salesmen in the public’s perception of their “low” or “very low” ethical standards. Stockbrokers and HMO managers came in with about the same ranking as Congress, reports the Hill.
Washington Post political analyst Chris Cillizza notes that the results appear to coincide with a recent “series of scandals that have hit Congress ranging from the enormous (Jack Abramoff and his ilk) to the prurient (John Ensign) in recent years.”
Cillizza writes that the Gallup numbers reinforce his belief that 2010 is shaping up as an anti-incumbent election year.
Governors were the only other political job included in the survey and ranked much higher than members of Congress, notes Politico. While only 15 percent of respondents said they had a “high” or “very high” opinion of governors, 48 percent gave them an “average” rating while only 35 percent ranked them as “low” or “very low.”
Clergy and bankers also sagged in public perception of their ethics, according to the Scripps Howard News Service.
Sources:, Dec. 11 –, Dec. 9 –, Dec. 9 –, Dec. 9 –, Dec. 9.
For more information, see: Related Newsline Research Report, Dec. 14 — Related Newsline story, Sep. 21 — Related Newsline story, Sep. 21 — Related Newsline story, Dec. 15, 2008 — Related Newsline story, Aug. 28, 2008 –, Dec. 9.
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