Fewer than four in 10 Americans can identify which political party controls the Senate and which controls the House, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.
The survey found that 36 percent of the public correctly said that Democrats control the Senate and that Republicans control the House. Among those registered to vote, 41 percent correctly named the party that controls each chamber.
There is virtually no difference between Republicans and Democrats on the question. Equal shares of both parties (38 percent) correctly identified each majority party in Congress, while nearly identical percentages were right about one of the chambers.
Familiarity with the House and the Senate is about the same in the poll. Nearly half the public (49 percent) named Democrats as the majority party in the Senate and half named Republicans (51 percent) as the dominant party in the House.
The findings are in line with an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey that showed 38 percent of Americans said Republicans control the House and the same share said Democrats control the Senate. That poll also showed that just 36 percent of Americans could name the three branches of government.
The Senate majority is up for grabs in the midterm elections, while the GOP's House majority is not in jeopardy. Republicans need to gain six Senate seats to win control of the chamber.
Among those who can name which party controls both chambers, 55 percent say party control in Congress matters to them a great deal. Only about a third or fewer of those who cannot are greatly concerned about party control.
