A staggering **86% of Americans now disapprove** of how Congress is performing, tying the highest level of dissatisfaction recorded in Gallup's history, while approval has plummeted to just **10%**[1][2]. This near-90% dissatisfaction rate underscores a deep public crisis of confidence in the legislative branch, with New York Times Washington bureau chief **Carl Hulse** declaring that Congress has become a "**broken institution**"[1][2]. Hulse, who has covered the Capitol since the Reagan administration, argues that the Republican party's decision to cede constitutional powers—such as authority over tariffs and war—to the executive branch was a catastrophic strategic error[1].
The shift in power has resulted in a dramatic expansion of presidential authority, with **President Trump issuing over 260 executive orders** during his current term, a figure exceeding the combined total of the Obama and Biden administrations over 12 years[1]. **Sarah Binder**, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, diagnoses that Congress's ability to negotiate, legislate, and solve problems has been "**completely atrophied**," leaving the body unable to perform its core functions[1]. Meanwhile, **Philip Wallach** of the American Enterprise Institute notes that in a political culture where **compromise is viewed as dirty**, lawmakers now prioritize supporting or opposing the White House rather than addressing citizens' actual problems[1].
The consequences of this legislative paralysis are visible in the nation's **$30 trillion national debt** and a **Social Security system on the brink of collapse**, which serve as stark indicators of where the current trajectory is heading[1]. The public's disillusionment is further compounded by extreme partisan polarization, with a **55-point gap** between Republican (61%) and Democratic (6%) approval of Congress[11]. As the government faces ongoing challenges, including a recent historic shutdown that has left Americans deeply dissatisfied with the nation's direction, the legislative branch appears increasingly unable to reclaim the authority it has surrendered[5][10].
