Leaders looking to gain ground in public opinion are not succeeding. A majority of Americans report feeling more negatively about the Republican and Democratic congressional leadership since the shutdown began, as well as about President Barack Obama. The negative reactions toward Obama are higher than Gallup recorded toward President Bill Clinton during the 1995 shutdown, while they are about the same toward the Republican leaders in Congress. Gallup did not ask about the Democratic leaders in 1995.

Americans this week express strong views of the shutdown — 21% say the closure is a crisis, while 49% believe it to be a major problem. That is more than peak negative sentiment seen during the last government shutdown, in 1995. In a five-week period that year, Americans’ views that the shutdown was a serious problem rose from 51% to 56%. The current shutdown began on Oct. 1, and resulted from Congress’ failure to agree on a continuing resolution to fund federal government operations.

By political affiliation, Democrats believe the shutdown to be a more serious problem than Republicans or independents do. Eighty-one percent of Democrats agree that it is a crisis or major problem, as opposed to 67% of Republicans and 64% of independents.