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Americans disenchanted

by politics, politicians

NEW YORK: Americans are disenchanted by politics and politicians as never before and do not necessarily believe that a third party would solve their problems, according to a poll released on Saturday

The New York Times/CBS News poll, published in the Times, reveals that Americans are just as dissatisfied with the work of Republicans on Capitol Hill this year as they are with the performance of President Bill Clinton.

In each case, only 26 percent said the officeholders were doing a good job.

Although 55 percent said the United States needed a new party, 61 percent said a third-party president would still have trouble dealing with Congress, according to the telephone poll of 1,478 adults.The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

The results of the survey suggested that former Army General Colin Powell would run more strongly than other third-party nominees against Clinton and Republican frontrunner Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the newspaper reported.

It said that in a trial race, the three finished in a virtual dead heat with those polled.

The Times said that what the congressional Republicans have done since winning the elections last fall has been good for the country in the view of 48 percent and bad in the view of 33 percent of those surveyed.

President Clinton has a job approval rating of 45 percent, compared with 43 percent who disapprove of the way he is doing his job.

Frustrations were running deeper than at any time during America's history, the Times said. The other major findings of the poll:

- 59 said there was not a single elected official whom they admired.

- 79 percent said the government was run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.

- Another 79 percent said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing only some of the time.

- 58 percent said that people like themselves have little to say about what the government does.-Reuter