Americans Don't Like Politicians

This poll shows how Americans feel about various professional groups:

As Matt Yglesias points out, this table has important implications for how debates about health care and military policy play out:

The very high ratings given to military officers is hugely important in understanding the politics of the war in Afghanistan. And the very high ratings given to health care providers is hugely important in understanding the politics of health care costs. Any given cut in spending might be a trimming of fat, or else it might lead to a major reduction in the availability of useful health care services. And in a standoff between a member of congress and a doctor or nurse over which it is, people are highly inclined to believe the member of congress is lying.