There is no problem more common in Americans' minds than their dissatisfaction with government, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday morning. But that's probably good news for folks on Capitol Hill, because it's in large part a function of concerns about the economy and unemployment slipping.
The trend over the past year has been consistent: About a fifth of respondents name government as the "most important problem facing this country," while the number most worried about the economy and unemployment has fallen. (The dotted line on the graph below show the trend.)
The steady frustration with government is traceable in Gallup's surveys back to 2013. There was a steady upward trend from about the time President Obama took office, reaching in 2013 the level it's generally at now. The data for 2008 to 2013 is from March of each year for the sake of consistency; in October 2013, during the shutdown, frustration with government peaked at 33 percent.
As concern about the economy has plummeted following the recession, the steady frustration with government continues to float on top.
It's worth noting that "dissatisfaction with government" is not equivalent to "dislike of big government" or "opposition to government programs." As articulated in 2010, it encompasses those sentiments, but also dissatisfaction with politicians, poor leadership, corruption and abuse of power.
In other words, it jibes with recently released data on confidence in government institutions. The General Social Survey released last week found that a record low number of Americans are confident in the presidency: 11 percent -- which is largely a function of opposition from Republicans. But confidence in Congress is even lower, at 5 percent.
Of course, confidence in the media is at 7 percent, so who are we to talk?
Philip Bump writes about politics for The Fix. He is based in New York City.
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