A Legacy of Corruption, A Legacy of Change

Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed. The Teapot Dome Scandal. Watergate. Congressmembers Charles B. Rangel and Maxine Waters.

History has shown that public outrage towards elected officials often leads to an incumbent loss in the next election as the perpetrator is ousted from their post. In the upcoming paperback release of "Americans, Congress, and Democratic Responsiveness," authors David R. Jones and Monika L. McDermott assert that the public's satisfaction with their representatives will determine not only seat changes at election time, but also policy shifts within Congress as well.

A recent Gallup Poll cited by the Washington Post has some telling results:

"Gallup puts congressional approval at 11 percent, one point lower than its worst-ever rating. Congress stands last in a list of 16 institutions in terms of public confidence. The legislative branch is now eight points lower than health maintenance organizations, 11 points lower than television news and 14 points lower than newspapers. By about 2 to 1, Americans say they would prefer to vote for a candidate this year who has never been in Congress. "

Jones and McDermott predict that voters will turn against hard-line party members come election time while candidates running under the offending political party will try to distance themselves from the traditional party ideology.

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