WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Support for the Democratic-controlled Congress has slipped eight points since January when Democrats took control of the House and Senate, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll.

In January, only 31 percent of Americans believed that the Democrats' policies were taking the country in the wrong direction, but in the new poll released Monday, this number has increased to 39 percent.

"There has been a showdown between Congress and the President," said CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider, noting the increasing dissatisfaction with Congress. "So it's not surprising that the criticism of Congress has been rising."

Clashes over a wartime emergency spending bill and showdown over the dismissal of several U.S. attorneys are just two of the issues Congress and the White House sparred over.