By now, you’d think the lack of confidence in Congress had hit an irreducible minimum. In 2013, a Gallup survey showed that only 10% of Americans had “a great deal” or “a lot” of confidence in the national legislature. But no, that apparently wasn’t as low as you can go.

Gallup’s latest survey shows that only 7% of Americans have confidence in Congress. That’s not just the lowest number since Gallup began asking that question in 1973, but the lowest confidence figure for any institution about which it has polled.

The highest Congressional confidence level was 42%, recorded in the first year the question was asked. It has fallen and climbed periodically since then, but has never been this low. In this year’s poll, about a third of respondents expressed “some confidence” in Congress, half have “very little” confidence, and 7% have none.

The survey, taken from June 5 to June 8, showed that the institution Americans have the most confidence in is the military, at 74%. As far as the other branches of government go, the Supreme Court led the list with a 30% confidence rate, closely followed by the presidency at 29%.

For non-governmental entities, small business earned 62% confidence and the police at 53%. Television news was next-to-last at 18%.

-Steve Straehley

To Learn More:

Public Faith in Congress Falls Again, Hits Historic Low (by Rebecca Riffkin, Gallup Politics)

Most Americans in 74 Years Consider Government Nation’s Worst Problem; Approval of Republican Party Plunges to All-Time Low (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Most Americans Are Frustrated with Government; Approval of Congress Hits Bottom (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Congress Less Popular than Cockroaches, Root Canals and Used Car Salesmen (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)