… The branch of government endowed by the Founders with the most authority wins approval from only 10 percent of the public, according to a Gallup Poll in June. No major institution ranks as low. …
The dysfunction on Capitol Hill is captured by one of the best books on the process in a long time, “Act of Congress,” by Robert G. Kaiser, a veteran Washington Post correspondent and editor. … Kaiser writes that what political scientists label “the politics of blame avoidance” is pervasive on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers spend more time seeking to escape responsibility for unpopular actions — especially ones that can be used against them in an attack commercial — than in claiming credit for good deeds. [cont.]
Al Hunt, Bloomberg