GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest Gallup poll, conducted June 3-6, shows that 70% of Americans approve of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president, down seven percentage points from last week and the lowest level since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. The rating is still high by historical standards, and is 19 points above the level measured just prior to the terrorist attacks.
| George W. Bush's Job Approval Rating |
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The new rating comes after a week of intense news coverage about what the Bush administration knew about the terrorist attacks before they occurred. Virtually all of the interviewing was completed before Bush's address to the nation last night, when he announced his proposal for a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security.
The poll also shows that the decline in Bush's approval comes from Democrats and independents, but not Republicans. Forty-nine percent of Democrats express approval, down 10 points from last week. Independents show a seven-point decline, from 75% at the end of May to 68% today. Republican approval is at 96% in the current poll, off one point from last week but just above the average level since March.
| George W. Bush's Job Approval Rating: by Party |
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Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,010 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted June 3-6, 2002. 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.
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