Congress' Approval Rating Recovers Slightly

Americans seem happier with Congress these days. That's what Gallup's two latest polls show: Congress, with an approval rating of 17 percent, has gained a whole seven points since February.

Still, they shouldn't get too cocky on the Hill, because this just means that 79 percent of Americans disapprove of the institution. That's down from a record high 86 percent in December of 2011. We suppose that's like saying in December almost everyone disapproved of Congress and now mostly everyone disapproves.

Here's Gallup's historical chart of Congress' approval rating:

In a blog post to go with the latest poll released today, Gallup points out that with a general election on the horizon, it's unlikely that Congress will get much done to affect its standing.

Instead, "the direction of congressional approval over the coming months will more likely be contingent on the state of the economy," Gallup reports.

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