Bush Approval Continues to Hold Steady in Low 30s

Only 9% of Democrats approve

by Frank Newport

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- The American public's evaluation of the job President George W. Bush is doing has been generally stable over the past four months, fluctuating across nine polls only within a narrow 5-point range between 29% and 34%. The most recent USAToday/Gallup measure of Bush's job approval rating -- 33% -- comes from a Sept. 7-9, 2007, poll, in the field just before the beginning of this week's high profile Congressional testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, and Bush's Thursday night speech to the nation on Iraq. Sixty-two percent of Americans currently disapprove of Bush's job performance as president; 5% abstain from giving an opinion.

Bush began the year with a job approval rating of 37%, but the rating was at 34% by mid-January -- little difference from where it is now. His 2007 high point of 38% came in early April, and his low point of 29% was measured in early July. Bush has averaged a 34% job approval rating so far this year.

In a broader context, Bush's average job approval rating for the four years of his first term was a much higher, 62%, fueled by the high ratings he received after the terrorist attacks in September 2001. His average rating for 2005, the first year of his second term, fell to 46%, then to 37% for 2006, and -- as mentioned -- 34% so far this year.

The average job approval rating across all that presidents Gallup has measured since World War II is 55%. This puts Bush's current ratings at the low, negative end of the historic job approval spectrum. Bush's 33% job approval rating, however, is still above the all time lows reached by Harry Truman in 1952 and Richard Nixon in 1974 -- both near the end of their administrations.

It appears that the approval of Bush within party groups has solidified into starkly different patterns. There is more than a 60 percentage point difference between the approval rating Republicans and Democrats give Bush.

At this point, more than three-quarters of those who identify with Republicans continue to say they approve of the job he is doing. Only 9% of Democrats approve. About a quarter of independents approve.

These partisan ratings of Bush have scarcely changed this year. All but three Gallup Polls this year have shown Republican ratings of Bush in the 70% range (the other three were in the 60s), and all but one poll has shown Democratic ratings of the job Bush is doing below 10%.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,028 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Sept. 7-8, 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

	Approve	Dis- approve	No opinion		Approve	Dis- approve	No opinion
2007				2006
2007 Sep 7-8	33	62	5	2006 Mar 13-16	37	59	5
				2006 Mar 10-12	36	60	4
2007 Aug 13-16	32	63	5	2006 Feb 28-Mar 1	38	60	2
2007 Aug 3-5	34	62	4	2006 Feb 9-12	39	56	4
2007 Jul 12-15	31	63	6	2006 Feb 6-9	42	55	4
2007 Jul 6-8	29	66	5	2006 Jan 20-22	43	54	4
2007 Jun 11-14	32	65	3	2006 Jan 9-12	43	53	4
2007 Jun 1-3	32	62	6	2006 Jan 6-8	43	54	3
2007 May 10-13	33	62	5	2005
2007 May 4-6	34	63	3	2005 Dec 19-22	43	53	4
2007 Apr 13-15	36	60	4	2005 Dec 16-18	41	56	3
2007 Apr 2-5	38	58	4	2005 Dec 9-11	42	55	3
2007 Mar 23-25	34	62	4	2005 Dec 5-8	43	52	5
2007 Mar 11-14	35	61	4	2005 Nov 17-20	38	57	5
2007 Mar 2-4	33	63	4	2005 Nov 11-13	37	60	3
2007 Feb 9-11	37	59	3	2005 Nov 7-10	40	55	5
2007 Feb 1-4	32	65	4	2005 Oct 28-30	41	56	3
2007 Jan 15-18	36	61	3	2005 Oct 24-26	41	56	3
2007 Jan 12-14	34	63	4	2005 Oct 21-23	42	55	3
2007 Jan 5-7	37	59	4	2005 Oct 13-16	39	58	3
2006				2005 Sep 26-28	45	50	5
2006 Dec 11-14	35	61	4	2005 Sep 16-18	40	58	2
2006 Dec 8-10	38	59	4	2005 Sep 12-15	45	52	3
2006 Nov 9-12	33	62	4	2005 Sep 8-11	46	51	3
2006 Nov 2-5	38	56	6	2005 Aug 28-30	45	52	3
2006 Oct 20-22	37	58	4	2005 Aug 22-25	40	56	4
2006 Oct 9-12	37	57	6	2005 Aug 8-11	45	51	4
2006 Oct 6-8	37	59	4	2005 Aug 5-7	45	51	4
2006 Sep 15-17	44	51	5	2005 Jul 25-28	44	51	5
2006 Sep 7-10	39	56	5	2005 Jul 22-24	49	48	3
2006 Aug 18-20	42	54	4	2005 Jul 7-10	49	48	3
2006 Aug 7-10	37	59	4	2005 Jun 29-30	46	51	3
2006 Jul 28-30	40	56	4	2005 Jun 24-26	45	53	2
2006 Jul 21-23	37	59	4	2005 Jun 16-19	47	51	2
2006 Jul 6-9	40	55	5	2005 Jun 6-8	47	49	4
2006 Jun 23-25	37	60	3	2005 May 23-26	48	47	5
2006 Jun 9-11	38	56	6	2005 May 20-22	46	50	4
2006 Jun 1-4	36	57	6	2005 May 2-5	50	45	5
2006 May 8-11	33	61	6	2005 Apr 29-May 1	48	49	3
2006 May 5-7	31	65	5	2005 Apr 18-21	48	49	3
2006 Apr 28-30	34	63	3	2005 Apr 4-7	50	45	5
2006 Apr 10-13	36	59	5	2005 Apr 1-2	48	48	4
2006 Apr 7-9	37	60	3

Q.1 (BUSH JOB APPROVAL) CONTINUED

	Approve	Dis- approve	No opinion		Approve	Dis- approve	No opinion
2005				2003
2005 Mar 21-23	45	49	6	2003 Dec 15-16	63	34	3
2005 Mar 18-20	52	44	4	2003 Dec 11-14	56	41	3
2005 Mar 7-10	52	44	4	2003 Dec 5-7	55	43	2
2005 Feb 25-27	52	45	3	2003 Nov 14-16	50	47	3
2005 Feb 21-24	51	45	4	2003 Nov 10-12	51	45	4
2005 Feb 7-10	49	48	3	2003 Nov 3-5	54	43	3
2005 Feb 4-6	57	40	3	2003 Oct 24-26	53	42	5
2005 Jan 14-16	51	46	3	2003 Oct 10-12	56	40	4
2005 Jan 7-9	52	44	4	2003 Oct 6-8	55	42	3
2005 Jan 3-5	52	44	4	2003 Sep 19-21	50	47	3
2004				2003 Sep 8-10	52	43	5
2004 Dec 17-19	49	46	5	2003 Aug 25-26	59	37	4
2004 Dec 5-8	53	44	3	2003 Aug 4-6	60	36	4
2004 Nov 19-21	55	42	3	2003 Jul 25-27	58	38	4
2004 Nov 7-10	53	44	3	2003 Jul 18-20	59	38	3
2004 Oct 29-31	48	47	5	2003 Jul 7-9	62	34	4
2004 Oct 22-24	51	46	3	2003 Jun 27-29	61	36	3
2004 Oct 14-16	51	47	2	2003 Jun 12-15	63	33	4
2004 Oct 11-14	48	49	3	2003 Jun 9-10	62	34	4
2004 Oct 9-10	47	49	4	2003 May 30-Jun 1	64	32	4
2004 Oct 1-3	50	48	2	2003 May 19-21	66	30	4
2004 Sep 24-26	54	44	2	2003 May 5-7	69	28	3
2004 Sep 13-15	52	45	3	2003 Apr 22-23	70	26	4
2004 Sep 3-5	52	46	2	2003 Apr 14-16	71	24	5
2004 Aug 23-25	49	47	4	2003 Apr 7-9	69	26	5
2004 Aug 9-11	51	46	3	2003 Apr 5-6	70	27	3
2004 Jul 30-Aug 1	48	49	3	2003 Mar 29-30	71	26	3
2004 Jul 19-21	49	47	4	2003 Mar 24-25	69	27	4
2004 Jul 8-11	47	49	4	2003 Mar 22-23	71	25	4
2004 Jun 21-23	48	49	3	2003 Mar 14-15	58	38	4
2004 Jun 3-6	49	49	2	2003 Mar 3-5	57	37	6
2004 May 21-23	47	49	4	2003 Feb 24-26	57	37	6
2004 May 7-9	46	51	3	2003 Feb 17-19	58	37	5
2004 May 2-4	49	48	3	2003 Feb 7-9	61	34	5
2004 Apr 16-18	52	45	3	2003 Feb 3-6	59	35	6
2004 Apr 5-8	52	45	3	2003 Jan 31-Feb 2	61	35	4
2004 Mar 26-28	53	44	3	2003 Jan 23-25	60	36	4
2004 Mar 8-11	50	47	3	2003 Jan 20-22	58	36	6
2004 Mar 5-7	49	48	3	2003 Jan 13-16	61	34	5
2004 Feb 16-17	51	46	3	2003 Jan 10-12	58	37	5
2004 Feb 9-12	51	46	3	2003 Jan 3-5	63	32	5
2004 Feb 6-8	52	44	4	2002
2004 Jan 29-Feb 1	49	48	3	2002 Dec 19-22	61	32	7
2004 Jan 12-15	53	44	3	2002 Dec 16-17	63	33	4
2004 Jan 9-11	59	38	3	2002 Dec 9-10	63	32	5
2004 Jan 2-5	60	35	5	2002 Dec 5-8	64	29	7

Q.1 (BUSH JOB APPROVAL) CONTINUED

	Approve	Dis- approve	No opinion		Approve	Dis- approve	No opinion
2002				2001
2002 Nov 22-24	65	28	7	2001 Dec 14-16	86	11	3
2002 Nov 11-14	66	26	8	2001 Dec 6-9	86	10	4
2002 Nov 8-10	68	27	5	2001 Nov 26-27	87	8	5
2002 Oct 31-Nov 3	63	29	8	2001 Nov 8-11	87	9	4
2002 Oct 21-22	67	28	5	2001 Nov 2-4	87	9	4
2002 Oct 14-17	62	31	7	2001 Oct 19-21	88	9	3
2002 Oct 3-6	67	28	5	2001 Oct 11-14	89	8	3
2002 Sep 23-26	68	26	6	2001 Oct 5-6	87	10	3
2002 Sep 20-22	66	30	4	2001 Sep 21-22	90	6	4
2002 Sep 13-16	70	26	4	2001 Sep 14-15	86	10	4
2002 Sep 5-8	66	30	4	2001 Sep 7-10	51	39	10
2002 Sep 2-4	66	29	5	2001 Aug 24-26	55	36	9
2002 Aug 19-21	65	28	7	2001 Aug 16-19	57	34	9
2002 Aug 5-8	68	26	6	2001 Aug 10-12	57	35	8
2002 Jul 29-31	71	23	6	2001 Aug 3-5	55	35	10
2002 Jul 26-28	69	26	5	2001 Jul 19-22	56	33	11
2002 Jul 22-24	69	24	7	2001 Jul 10-11	57	35	8
2002 Jul 9-11	73	21	6	2001 Jun 28-Jul 1	52	34	14
2002 Jul 5-8	76	18	6	2001 Jun 11-17	55	33	12
2002 Jun 28-30	76	19	5	2001 Jun 8-10	55	35	10
2002 Jun 21-23	73	21	6	2001 May 18-20	56	36	8
2002 Jun 17-19	74	20	6	2001 May 10-14	56	31	13
2002 Jun 3-6	70	23	7	2001 May 7-9	53	33	14
2002 May 28-29	77	17	6	2001 Apr 20-22	62	29	9
2002 May 20-22	76	17	7	2001 Apr 6-8	59	30	11
2002 May 6-9	76	19	5	2001 Mar 26-28	53	29	18
2002 Apr 29-May 1	77	20	3	2001 Mar 9-11	58	29	13
2002 Jun 7-8	74	18	8	2001 Mar 5-7	63	22	15
2002 Apr 22-24	77	17	6	2001 Feb 19-21	62	21	17
2002 Apr 8-11	75	20	5	2001 Feb 9-11	57	25	18
2002 Apr 5-7	76	19	5	2001 Feb 1-4	57	25	18
2002 Mar 22-24	79	17	4
2002 Mar 18-20	79	16	5
2002 Mar 8-9	80	14	6
2002 Mar 4-7	77	18	5
2002 Mar 1-3	81	14	5
2002 Feb 8-10	82	14	4
2002 Feb 4-6	82	14	4
2002 Jan 25-27	84	13	3
2002 Jan 11-14	83	13	4
2002 Jan 7-9	84	12	4

Bush’s Yearly Approval Average Fourth Worst Since 1945

January 18, 2008

Presidential Job Approval in Depth

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