Terence P. Jeffrey: Americans Rank Congressmen Lower Than Journalists and Car Salesmen for Honesty and Ethical Standards

Americans are not very respectful of journalists and car salesmen. However, they give journalists a higher rating for honesty and ethics than they give members of Congress.

Gallup published the results of its survey on Americans’ perceptions about honesty and moral standards in different professions this week, according to the New York Post. Gallup began this survey in 1976. It has continued to do it every year since 1990.

According to Gallup, 1,020 American adults were asked this question between Nov. 9 and Dec. 2, 2022. “Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields — very high, high, average, low or very low?”

The survey then listed 18 different professions — ranging from bankers to lawyers to members of Congress.

Only 2% of respondents indicated that they would vote for members of Congress. “very high” Rating for honesty and ethical standards. Another 7% gave them a “high” rating. A total of 9% of Americans surveyed gave them either a “high” Or a “very high” Ranking 17th of 18 professions, Congressmen were rated on the basis of honesty and ethics.

Telemarketers came in last. Like Congress members, 2% of those surveyed gave them an a. “very high” They were rated for honesty and high ethical standards. However, only 4% gave them a rating. “high” rating. This combined 6% score left telemarketers with 3 points less than the combined 9% earned by members of Congress.

Although members of Congress did manage to surpass telemarketers on their perceived honesty, ethical standards, and performance, they still trailed behind. “car salespeople.” Only 2% of respondents ranked this profession. “very high” They can be ranked at 8% and 6% respectively “high.” The combined 10% score puts car salesmen one spot ahead of Congress members for honesty and ethics standards.

Only one point separated members of Congress and journalists from those who ranked them was achieved by the Journalists. “very high” They were honest and upstanding in their ethical standards. However, they outscored them by 13 percentage points (20 to 7 for those who ranked them). “high” They are honest and uphold ethical standards. Journalists were rated by 23% of those who gave them either “high” Oder “very high” Honesty and ethical standards outperform the combined 9% who gave Congress members “high” Oder “very high” ratings.

Members of Congress also lost the honesty-and-ethical-standards competition to lawyers, who were ranked “very high” By 3% of respondents “high” by 18% — for a combined 21%.

In the years since 1976, when Gallup first conducted its survey on how Americans perceive the honesty and ethics of various professions, members of Congress attained their highest rating in a survey conducted in late November 2001 — about two and a half months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In that survey, 4% gave Congressmen a favorable rating. “very high” rating, and 21% gave them an a “high” rating — fOder a combined 25%.

Ten years later — in a survey conducted from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, 2011 — the percentage of respondents ranking the honesty and ethics of members of Congress as “very high” or “high” The drop to 7% was an all-time record. In December 2014, it fell to 7% again.

Medical professionals are at the opposite end of Congress. They get high ratings from Americans because of their honesty and moral standards.

The latest Gallup survey revealed that 29 percent of respondents gave nurses a recommendation. “very high” Another 50% rated them for honesty and moral standards. “high” rating. The combined 79% rating made nurses the highest-rated profession for honesty, integrity, and ethics in the country.

With a combined rating 62% (17%), medical doctors came in second. “very high” The other is 45% “high”).

With a combined rating 58% (14%), pharmacists came third “very high” 44% “high”).

How survey respondents judged Congressmen’s honesty, ethics and standards varied only slightly depending on their political philosophy. Neither conservatives, moderates, nor liberals gave Congressmen high ratings.

However, the majority of conservatives who responded did not give Congress members a recommendation. “very high” While only 2% of moderates rated honesty and ethics, 2% of liberals did. Only 5% gave Congress members a rating. “high” Rating for honesty and ethical standards was 9% higher than that of moderates (7%) and 9% respectively.

What can Congressmen do to earn Americans’ respect for being honest and upholding ethical standards?

Their job is not impose an ever more intrusive regime on this country, but to preserve our freedom from such a government.

If Congress members fight to reduce government, their ratings are likely to go up.

CNSnews.com’s editor-in-chief is Terence P. Jeffrey. Visit www.creators.com to learn more about Terence P. Jeffrey, the editor-in-chief of CNSnews.com.

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