This chart is designed to show changes in the public's approval and disapproval rates for Congress's performance. The X-axis represents years from 1980 to 2005; the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents expressing approval or disapproval. The chart shows wide variations in the public's approval of Congress, about 34% in the early 1980s, about 50% in the mid-1980s, and the lowest point during the early 1990s with lower than 30% in 1992. After the early 1990s, the rate of public approval for Congress consistently increased, reaching 64% in 2002, but it has declined ever since, to levels approaching the lowest approval ratings.