72%: Cut pay to Congress
With approval ratings hitting at an all time low of under 10%, the news only gets worse for members of the U.S. Congress. In a Poll Position national scientific telephone survey we asked, would you approve or disapprove of a proposal to cut the pay of Congress in half? Almost three-quarters of Americans, 72% told us they would approve of a pay cut, 17% would disapprove, and 11% had no opinion on the pay cut question.
Among political groups, Independents and Republicans led the way with 77% of Independents approving a pay cut for Congress, 14% disapproving, and 9% offered no opinion. An equal percentage of Republicans, 77% approved cutting the pay of Congress in half, 11% did not approve, and 13% did not have an opinion. Democrats favored a pay cut but y a smaller amount with 62% approving, 26% not approving, and 12% offering no opinion.
Women favored a pay cut for Congress more than men with 75% of women approving a cut in pay, 13% not approving, and 13% with no opinion. Men countered with 70% approving of a pay cut, 21% disapproving and 9% had no opinion.
Whites and African-Americans approved the pay cut idea but by different margins. Whites approved by 74% to 15% not approving, 12% had no opinion. Fewer African-Americans, 66% approved of a pay cut for Congress, 28% did not approve, and 6% did not have an opinion.
Poll Position’s scientific telephone survey of 1,170 registered voters nationwide was conducted November 15, 2011 and has a margin of error of ±3%. Poll results are weighted to be a representative sampling of all American adults.
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The online companion poll in which you can vote provides unscientific results, meaning it’s a tally of participating Poll Position users, not a nationally representative sampling.
Poll Position is committed to transparency and upholding the highest professional standards in its polling, explaining why we provide you with the crosstabs of our scientific polls. Crosstabs provide a breakdown of survey participants by age, race, gender, and political affiliation. Here are the crosstabs for this poll: Poll Position Crosstabs-Congress pay cut
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personally i would like to see congressional and senatorial pay limited to ten times minimum wage based on a max rate equivalent to a forty hour work weak. plus no medical or federal retirement, they have to provide and pay for their own medical coverage and can have a 401 type retirement plan where the government matches deposits up to the max limit.
Congress is ultimately the ones who would need to vote for their own pay cuts. I am skeptical that would ever happen.
This doesn’t even matter. Congress makes most of its’ money selling influence and making insider transactions. They won’t care if you cut their pay!
Gregg