Public Perceptions of the U.S. Congress

这项研究涉及对美国人的深入调查， 公众对国会的看法 受欢迎 报道经常强调公众对国会的不满， 但是这些不快乐的来源和变化 人们对不幸福程度的分析很少与 在乎 鉴于公众对政治的态度的重要性， 像国会这样的机构， 转化为具有重大影响的改革，例如 长期的限制，这是至关重要的，更深入的系统 公众情绪得到了认可。 在这项研究调查中，研究人员采用了 全国电话调查和重点小组访谈， 系统地探究美国公众信仰的本质 关于国会;信仰，如该机构应该是什么， 做什么，做什么，是否需要改革， 期望与现实相符。 因此，这项研究 提供了一个独特的社会科学数据库， 国会及其成员。 对这些数据的分析有助于奠定 公众态度理论的基础，而不仅仅是 国会，但一般的政治机构。

This research involves an in-depth investigation of the American public's perceptions of an feelings toward Congress. Popular accounts frequently stress the public's unhappiness with Congress, but the sources of this unhappines and variations across the population in levels of unhappiness are seldom analyzed with care. Given the importance of public attitudes toward political institutions like Congress, and given the potential for unhappiness to be translated into reforms with serious implications, such as term limitations, it is essential that a deeper systematic appreciation of of public sentiments is obtained. In this research investigation, the researchers employ both a national telephone survey and intensive focus group interviews to probe systematically the nature of the American public's beliefs about Congress; beliefs such as what the institution should be doing, what it is doing, and whether reforms are needed to bring expectations and reality into line. As such, this research provides a unique social science data base on perceptions of Congress and its members. Analysis of these data helps to lay the foundation for a theory of public attitudes toward, not just Congress, but political institutions generally.