One in four people would prefer to hand the reins of government to robots than politicians, according to a recent survey in the U.K. American voters hold their elected representatives in even less esteem.
This week’s Economist/You Gov poll gives Congress an approval rating of 14%. SMU political science professor Matthew Wilson says that should not be interpreted as an endorsement of robots. “It’s more about the deep-seated dissatisfaction that reflects with the existing political options and people’s frustration with the existing mechanism of government,” he says. Wilson says Congress hasn’t had an approval rating over 30% in almost 20 years. He believes American voters would likely say they would support a (fill in the blank) more than a governor, congress, president (fill in the blank), revealing a profound discontent with the status quo. “People don’t like gridlock; they don’t like the kind of deeply-entrenched partisanship. They don’t like the fact that congressional elites seem disconnected from the concerns of ordinary Americans.”
If it’s any consolation, things have improved. Last year Gallup found Congress had a 13% approval rating, though low bar was set in November 2013 at 9%.