Poll: Americans Grow Weary of the Gridlock

We are now in week four of the federal shutdown. It’s Day 22, and the day after another failed Senate vote on a continuing resolution (CR). Congress has failed to fund federal agencies, prompting furloughs of federal workers, layoffs, and reduced services.  

New polling this week shows Americans’ views on the shutdown, who they blame, who is affected, and what they want Congress to do.

Key Takeaways from The Economist/YouGov Poll:

Americans largely disapprove of how leaders in Washington are handling the shutdown.

• Trump (53% disapprove vs. 35% approve), Republicans (53% vs. 28%), and Democrats (52% vs. 25%)

This is not a surprise. Both sides are being blamed for the gridlock in Washington, as they are dug in on their positions.

Americans overwhelmingly want compromise.

• About two-thirds of people (64%) say that “lawmakers should compromise to reach a budget agreement, even if it means sacrificing some priorities that they believe in,” compared to just one-third (36%) who want lawmakers to “fight for the priorities that they believe in, even if it means risking a government shutdown.” 

Not only is the public broadly behind compromise, but party-affiliated voters (60% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans) are strongly behind compromise over standing firm on priorities. 

Americans are increasingly shifting more blame from Republicans to Democrats.

• Who is responsible for the shutdown: Republicans in Congress and Trump (39%), Democrats (33%), both (20%), and uncertain (8%).

This margin has narrowed from last week, when 41% of adults said Republicans and Trump versus 30% who said Democrats and 23% who gave both parties equal blame.

Less than half of Americans are actually affected by the shutdown.

• Affected greatly or somewhat (21%), little affected (25%), and 54% (unaffected)

What This Means

Americans are understandably frustrated and tired of the two parties not working together to keep the federal government open. Most people want the shutdown to end now, even if it means losing on their priorities. 

This shutdown is really a message to Democrats who are refusing to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government. This is the same CR they voted for 13 times when Joe Biden was president. Republicans are not asking to cut spending or introduce new policies, but rather to maintain the status quo. Democrats are pushing for $1.5 trillion of new spending just to reopen the government. (Read more about their demands here). The Left is using this shutdown as leverage to get their priorities passed, but even most Democrats disapprove of this strategy.

As Americans hear and understand the situation, they are increasingly—and rightly—casting blame on the Left, and this is a departure from the past.

Perhaps the most interesting insight from this poll is how muted the impacts of the shutdown have been on the broad public. Just 7% of adults say they are personally affected by the shutdown, along with 14% who are somewhat affected. Combined with the 25% who are little affected, it is still below the over half of Americans who say they are not affected at all. 

The impacts of shutdowns tend to be concentrated on the federal workforce and the military. Also, the Washington, D.C., area also feels the economic impact from furloughed and pink-slipped workers.

However, as we’ve explained, Social Security checks and other social welfare benefits will continue unaffected. The Trump administration has been able to reallocate unspent funds to programs such as WIC for poor pregnant women and children and to ensure military members continue getting paid to minimize the economic hardship.

If this shutdown continues and unpaid federal employees decide to skip out, such as air traffic controllers and Homeland Security agents at airports, then air transportation could come to a grinding halt during the holiday season. National Parks are open, but if unstaffed by park rangers, they could become unpleasant places at minimum and dangerous for visitors at worst.

The clear signal from Americans is that the shutdown needs to end.