Just 13% of Likely Voters now say Congress is doing a good or excellent job. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 47% give Congress a poor rating (see video report).

A month ago, those figures were 13% good or excellent and 43% poor.

Not surprisingly, Republican voters hold a more negative view of the Democratic Congress. Well over half (62%) of Republicans give Congress a poor rating, and only 10% give it a good or excellent rating. Those numbers are even more pessimistic than they were last month.

Among Democrats, the reviews are decidedly mixed--only 29% of Democrats give Congress poor ratings while 18% say the legislators are doing a good or excellent job.

Reviews from unaffiliated voters have become more negative over the past month. Just 10% of those voters give congress’ job a good or excellent rating, while 52% say poor.

The current ratings for Congress are now lower than they were on Election Day 2006. At the time the Democrats won control of the legislature, 15% said Congress was doing a good or an excellent job. Between Election Day and the end of the year, while Republicans were still in control, perceptions of Congress declined even further. Public perceptions of the legislature rebounded after the Democrats grabbed the baton in early 2007 and then began to slump again last summer.

While Congress gets poor reviews, the number of people who consider themselves Democrats has soared to record highs in recent months.

The current survey found that only 12% of voters believe that Congress has passed any legislation to improve life in America during the past year. Fifty-nine percent (59%) disagree.

Most voters hold little hope for the future. While 39% believe Congress is at least somewhat likely to address important problems in the coming year, 58% do not. Seventy-one percent (72%) of voters believe that members of congress are more interested in their own political careers than actually helping people.

The Supreme Court earns more positive feedback from voters. Thirty-three percent (37%) say the Supreme Court is doing a good or excellent job, a four-point increase from last month. Only 18% give it a poor rating.

See survey wording and toplines. Crosstabs and Historical Data available for Premium Members only.