As the government shutdown extends into a third week, large majorities report it is a serious national issue and blame both sides, the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. Nine in 10 adults say the shutdown is at least a minor problem; half call it a major one. Democrats worry more than Republicans, with 69% of Democrats calling it a big problem compared with 37% of Republicans, the poll determined.
Blame is widespread. Fifty-eight percent blame President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress for “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of blame, and 54% blame Democrats in Congress, the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reported. The debate surrounds Affordable Care Act subsidies; 42% of Americans do not care about expanding those tax credits, but more care about expanding them than don’t. Perceptions of Washington remain sour: only 4% report having a great deal of confidence in the people who are running Congress. Both sides are viewed unfavorably by the public (about three in 10 view Democrats favorably; about four in 10 view Republicans favorably) and divides on competence on issues—Republicans are more trusted on the economy, immigration, and crime; Democrats are more trusted on health care, the survey shows.
MNegotiations continued at a standstill this week with no visible way forward to re-opening government.
Methodology: The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research administered the survey of 1,289 adults Oct. 9–13, 2025, using the AmeriSpeak® probability panel. Margin of sampling error is ±3.8 percentage points for the combined sample and ±6.9 points for the Hispanic subsample, according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
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