America's Hatred of Congress in One Chart Congress has officially reached a new low point. A Gallup poll released Tuesday shows that Congress' approval rating has dropped to an all-time low -- 9 percent. It is the lowest approval rating since Gallup first asked Americans how they felt about Congress 39 years ago. The poll, which was conducted from Nov. 7-10, brings the 2013 approval rating average to 14 percent. During the government shutdown, congressional approval fell to 11 percent. The previous low point was 10 percent, which occurred twice in 2012. Gallup tweeted a graph showing the plunge approval rating over a five year period: