The frustration that voters are expressing in 2010 goes much deeper than specific policies. At a more fundamental level, voters just don’t believe politicians are interested in the opinions of ordinary Americans.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% believe the nation’s Political Class doesn’t “care what most Americans think.” Only 15% believe the Political Class is interested in the views of those they are supposed to serve. Another 17% are not sure.
Skepticism about the Political Class interest in voters is found across just about all demographic and partisan groups. However, self-identified liberals are evenly divided on the question. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of conservatives and 64% of moderates reject the notion that the Political Class cares.
Adults over 40 are more skeptical than younger adults about the Political Class. But even among voters under 30, nearly half (47%) don’t think the Political Class cares what most Americans think. Only 18% of these younger voters think the Political Class does care, while 35% are not sure.
In the survey, the term “Political Class” is not defined (see question wording).
The perception that the Political Class doesn’t care what voters think helps explain much of the frustration displayed by those voters in recent years. It also helps explain why voters are evenly divided over the notion that a group of people randomly selected from the phone book could do a better job than the current Congress.
Fifty-one percent (51%) think most members of Congress get reelected because the election rules are rigged to benefit incumbents. Only 20% say they get reelected because they do a good job representing their constituents...
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