Americans have had it with the government shutdown, and most want Democrats to end the standoff by accepting Republicans’ continuing resolution proposal, according to a new poll released this week.
The September Harvard CAPS/Harris poll reveals that a commanding 70% of voters oppose the ongoing government shutdown, while nearly two-thirds (65%) believe Democrats should accept the Republicans’ clean continuing resolution at current spending levels rather than hold out for additional funding for Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Public frustration isn’t just about the shutdown itself. The survey found that Congress’s approval rating has plummeted to 32%, down from 37% last month, as Americans grow increasingly exasperated with lawmakers’ inability to reach a compromise.
“The ratings for Congress dropped to new lows as voters are frustrated that rather than solutions to problems, Congress has shut down the government instead,” said Mark Penn, chair of the Harris poll.
Who’s winning the shutdown battle?
Despite a slim majority of Americans placing blame for the shutdown on Republicans, the poll indicates that nearly two-thirds (65%) believe Democrats need to give up their demands to end the impasse. More than half (55%) view Democrats’ stance as simply “trying to please their base.”
Perhaps most tellingly, 62% of respondents believe Republicans “will win the government shutdown” — suggesting that public opinion might be shifting as the stalemate continues.
The poll, conducted October 1-2, 2025, surveyed 2,413 registered voters, representing a broad cross-section of American opinion on the government shutdown and related political issues.
Real-world consequences mounting
Meanwhile, the human cost of the shutdown grows by the day. Service members and federal employees are set to miss their next paychecks, food assistance programs for low-income women and children face critical funding shortages, and states are bracing for potential economic catastrophe.
The White House has characterized the situation as dire, claiming the shutdown stems from “Democrats’ sick push to give illegal aliens free health care” — a framing that Democrats vehemently dispute.
Still, as the shutdown enters its second week with no resolution in sight, pressure is mounting on both parties to find common ground. The question now isn’t just who’s to blame, but who will blink first.
And if this poll is any indication, the American public has already rendered its verdict on who should make the next move.
