Public Perceptions of the U.S. Congress

这项研究对美国公众对国会的看法进行了深入调查。流行的说法经常强调公众对国会的不满，但这种不满的来源和不同人群不满程度的差异很少被仔细分析。考虑到公众对国会等政治机构的态度的重要性，考虑到不满情绪有可能转化为具有严重影响的改革，比如任期限制，因此有必要对公众情绪进行更深入的系统评估。在这项研究调查中，研究人员采用了全国电话调查和密集的焦点小组访谈来系统地探讨美国公众对国会的信念的本质；诸如该机构应该做什么、正在做什么，以及是否需要进行改革以使期望与现实保持一致等信念。因此，这项研究提供了一个独特的关于国会及其成员看法的社会科学数据基础。对这些数据的分析有助于为公众不仅对国会，而且对一般政治机构的态度理论奠定基础。

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.