When you combine that data with signals such as approval of Congress being under 10 percent, I think it enforces the idea that "people are not listened to" by Congress, and Congress mostly passes laws that aren't to the benefit of the public.
None of that negates the original poster. Nothing says that the public actually knows what benefits it. In fact, the founders tried to avoid direct democracy for that reason, hence the Electoral College: you vote for someone to make good decisions for you. Given the short-sightedness of American culture (maybe just people in general), I am not convinced that the public makes good decisions. How many members of the public are going to vote to remove entitlements that benefit them, even if it is not in the best interests of the public at large?
Mind you, I am not convinced that Congress makes good decisions, but if the public does not approve of Congress, it does not provide any information on the quality of Congress' decisions. Just their popularity.
