Disapproval of the way Republicans in Congress are handling negotiations over the federal budget has seen as sharp jump since the beginning of the government shutdown, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The poll found that 70 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Republicans are handling the budget negotiations, up from 63 percent in a poll conducted late last month.

The latest survey was conducted as the government shutdown took effect last week, with lawmakers at an impasse regarding a temporary government spending bill.

While Democrats have challenged House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to bring a "clean" spending bill to the floor for a vote, Republicans continue to demand concessions from the White House.

The poll suggests that Democrats in Congress have also taken a hit as a result of the shutdown, with 61 percent of Americans disapproving of Democrats' handling of the budget negotiations compared to 56 percent in the previous poll.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has actually seen an increase in his approval ratings on the budget negotiations, although the overall number remains negative.

Forty-five percent of Americans said they approve of Obama's handling of the budget negotiations, while 51 percent said they disapprove.

The poll conducted late last month found that 41 percent approved of Obama's handling of the budget negotiations. Fifty percent disapproved.

The Washington Post indicated that the high disapproval rating for Republicans is due in large part to a schism within the party.

While a majority of conservative Republicans approve of the way the GOP is handling the budget negotiations, 49 percent of Republicans who identify as moderate or liberal disapprove.

The Post-ABC survey of 1,005 adults was conducted October 2nd through 6th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

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