Congressional disapproval — and the potential Democratic backlash

The good news is that Congress’ approval rating is slightly up from November. The bad news is that it could be too little, too late for Democrats.

A new Gallup poll shows approval sits at 14 percent, up from an all-time low of 9 percent in November.

First, here’s a look at how it has trended over the last 40 years:

It’s no secret that over the last five years or so, Congress has been in the doghouse. But this is one of the lowest approval ratings Congress has had two months before an election since Gallup started keeping track in 1974.

In September 2010, the approval rating was at 18 percent just before the midterm elections, and thanks to a sweeping 63-seat change, Republicans took control of the House. And that’s shaping up to be bad news for Democrats.

“Americans indicate that these negative attitudes will increase their probability of voting this fall, and history suggests it is more likely that Democrats than Republicans will suffer as a result, given Democratic control of the White House,” Gallup wrote.