Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Disgust with Congress Through the Years

    The approval ratings of Congress are at historic lows, according to the modern measurements of public opinion polling. But what about the days of spitting, punching and even dueling with pistols on the floors of the House and the Senate?

    • rss
    • Share
    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    The approval ratings of Congress are at historic lows, according to the modern measurements of public opinion polling. But what about the days of spitting, punching and even dueling with pistols on the floors of the House and the Senate?

    Jonathan Zimmerman is a professor of History and Education at New York University. He's also the author of Small Wonder: The Little Red Schoolhouse in History and Memory.

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Will Congress Kick the Can Down the Road?
    1. 0:00Speaker Boehner Concedes Defeat
    2. 7:59Is Congress Stepping Away from the Brink?
    3. 41:56Disgust with Congress Through the YearsYou’re reading this
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jonathan Zimmerman

      New York University

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Will Congress Kick the Can Down the Road?
    1. 0:00Speaker Boehner Concedes Defeat
    2. 7:59Is Congress Stepping Away from the Brink?
    3. 41:56Disgust with Congress Through the YearsYou’re reading this
    Back to To the Point