Following a 16-day government shutdown, some other round of boot-the-can when it comes to the U.Southward. debt ceiling, and rabid debates over the future of Obamacare, it'due south not surprising to observe that Americans don't think very highly of Congress.

I know from a personal perspective I'm not likewise pleased with the endeavor either party has put in over the past couple of years, just three polls since 2011 speak wonders to the corporeality of vitriol directed at Congress.

Split polls from The New York Times, Public Policy Polling, and Gallup (conducted betwixt 2011 and 2013 for the latter 2) show that Congress' approval rating comes in at a record low of between 9% and 11%, depending on which source you cull. As Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) so aptly put information technology (link opens a YouTube video) in 2011 while speaking to members of Congress about its 9% blessing rating, "We're almost at the margin of error for zero!"

U.S. Capitol building.

Prototype source: Getty Images.

These aforementioned poll-takers put it into even more context by request Americans what their opinion was of Congress relative to other unfavorable ideas, people, and tasks. According to their results, Congress is viewed less favorably past the public than dog poop, hemorrhoids, traffic jams, cockroaches, lines at the DMV, zombies, herpes, banks, Brussels sprouts, the IRS, used-machine salesmen, and Wall Street. Nonetheless, by some saving grace, Congress has remained in a better light than Miley Cyrus.

While the results are understandably comical, they're also incredibly distressing. Why? Because Congress is in command of setting the laws that individuals and corporations are governed by.

As I discussed in June, public perception tin be a unsafe tool that can destroy stock market rallies even if companies are delivering solid growth prospects. Investors' faith in Congress is crucial, as their ability to navigate the upcoming debt-ceiling fence in early February could accept a profound impact on the Dow Jones Industrial Boilerplate (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) and wide-based S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC ) . Even though both the Dow and Due south&P 500 hit new all-time highs this week, the government shutdown is estimated to have cost the U.Southward. $24 billion in GDP and we're no closer to a long-term debt-ceiling and federal arrears solution than nosotros were at this fourth dimension last calendar week. A prolonged authorities shutdown and debt default would portend bad news for both major U.S. indexes moving forward.

However, what could be most disconcerting matter of all are the perks members of Congress get as a "thanks" for serving their country. I've highlighted countless visitor perks over the years that companies grant their employees, and some did involve exorbitant pay packages, costless gym memberships, and hefty retirement plans. But there are few company perks that compare with these 10 taken together.

i. A base almanac salary of $174,000
Admittedly, there should be some premium in pay for setting the laws and running the land as elected officials, and certain companies do grant their employees exorbitant pay packages, but being a member of Congress includes a minimum annual paycheck of $174,000, which is more than three times higher than the average private-sector bacon of $51,986 in 2010, co-ordinate to the Bureau of Economical Analysis.

2. Free airport parking
How much would you lot pay for an airdrome parking spot that was straight next to the terminal you lot landed at? For Congress, it's a big fat zero. At one time in its history, long before the Airport Dominance controlled Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Drome in the Washington, D.C., surface area, the federal government operated them. When the Airport Authority took over in 1987, every bit a courtesy, information technology kept 92 combined spots reserved betwixt both airports for members of Congress. At a rate of $22 per twenty-four hour period, that represents almost $740,000 in forgone revenue annually for Reagan National.

3. A free, on-site gym for Firm members
Not but are members of the Firm of Representatives treated to their ain exclusive gym, but it also comes with flat-screen TVs, a swimming puddle, a sauna and stream room, and paddleball and basketball courts. This wouldn't be besides bad, except that Congress kept its gym open during all 16 days of the authorities shutdown, putting the onus of cleaning and maintenance fees squarely on taxpayers.

4. Weakened insider trading restrictions
Despite passing the Stop Trading on Congressional Cognition Human activity, perhaps known improve every bit the STOCK Deed in 2012, Congress gutted the primary disclosure component earlier this yr. While nonetheless making it difficult to make trades on inside data, this means they don't take to publicly disembalm their trades and potential insider noesis. It's laudable they passed the restrictions, but it's hard go along them honest if information technology's hard to access the information.

five. Upwardly to 239 days off
According to the congressional calendar released in late 2012, there were 126 congressional sessions on the docket without a unmarried 5-mean solar day work week, leaving members of Congress with 239 days to work outside of Congress. Sometimes this means working within their home state, and in other cases it can mean a vacation. Members of Congress become the entire calendar month of Baronial off, get two weeks around Easter off, and weren't scheduled to work a single weekend, according to this yr'southward docket. Of course, the congressional docket tin exist changed and, as nosotros saw every bit recently as the debt-ceiling debate, members of Congress will indeed work weekends as accounted necessary.

vi. Congress receives health-care subsidies under Obamacare
Nether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, individuals are required to have health insurance or face a penalty that increases each yr through 2016. For individuals earning less than four times the almanac poverty level (about $46,000) or families earning less than four times the poverty level (close to $92,000), they are eligible to receive a partial or full subsidy on their wellness insurance through Obamacare's health exchanges. Congress, yet, too gets a large portion of its health insurance subsidized past the public on Obamacare's health exchanges despite making more than four times the poverty level.

vii. A improve retirement plan
According to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, the average Social Security recipient is going to net $xv,000 a year in benefits while a public workers' alimony will average effectually $26,000. Past contrast, a retired member of Congress who's served twenty years volition average $59,000 annually in pension benefits. In addition, Congress members (actually all federal workers) have access to the Thrift Savings Plan, a 401(g)-like investment vehicle with fees of just 0.03%. To put that into context, Bankrate notes that this means just $0.27 in fees for every $1,000 for the Thrift Savings Program, compared with the boilerplate 401(k), which charges around $5 in fees for every $ane,000! Over a lifetime, that tin can hateful thousands less in fees for congressional employees compared to public- and individual-sector workers.

eight. Members of Congress fly free
OK, so not every flight is free for members of Congress, only a vast majority of flights between their home states and Washington, D.C., are funded with taxpayer coin. What's really unique is that lawmakers are afforded the ability past airlines to book themselves on multiple flights without being charged multiple times considering of their very liquid schedules.

9. Death benefits
Should a member of Congress be killed while in function, the surviving family of that member would be entitled to receive at least one year's worth of salary, or a minimum of $174,000. In contrast, family members of soldiers in the United States war machine who perish while defending our country domestically or overseas are entitled to $100,000 in war machine expiry benefits, as well as funeral and burial expenses.

10. A $1.two 1000000 to $3.3 million allowance
Members of the Business firm receive a $900,000 annual allowance for a staff also as a $250,000 budget for travel and office expenses, paid for entirely by taxpayers. Each senator, on the other hand, gets a budget close to $iii.3 one thousand thousand based on figures from the Congressional Research Service. Again, certain companies do offering lavish pay packages and perks to employees so it may be a bit hypocritical to choice on Congress for this one point. Yet, I'm non aware of whatever business out there where all employees equally get at least $1.two meg in expenses at their disposal.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the "official" recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We're motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our ain -- helps us all think critically virtually investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.