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Why America Re-Elects A Congress It Hates

Americans don't like Congress. Yet its members frequently serve there for 20, 30, even 50 years.

So, how do we explain such a dismal public approval rating for the institution, when people seem to like its component parts?

In this Ron's Office Hours, we look at the history of congressional approval ratings and the distinction between approval of Congress as a whole — and approval of individual representatives.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News, where he is frequently heard as a news analyst and writes regularly for NPR.org.