United States presidential approval rating

In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were first conducted by George Gallup (estimated to be 1937) to gauge public support for the president of the United States during their term. An approval rating is a percentage determined by polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an opinion poll who approve of a particular person or program. Typically, an approval rating is given to a politician based on responses to a poll in which a sample of people are asked whether they approve or disapprove of that particular political figure. A question might ask: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the current president is handling their job as president?"[1]

Like most surveys that measure opinions, individual poll results may be inaccurate. Many unscientific approval rating systems exist that show inaccurate statistics. Examples that self select, such as online questions are of this type; however, the aggregate approval rating is generally accepted by statisticians as a statistically valid indicator of the comparative changes in the popular United States mood regarding a president.

George W. Bush registered a 90% job approval rating (the highest in Gallup's tracking) shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[2] Harry Truman registered a 22% job approval rating (the lowest in Gallup's tracking) in a Feb. 9-14, 1952, Gallup poll.[3]

President Joe Biden's approval ratings
For a more comprehensive list, see 2022 opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration.
Aggregate polls
Source of poll aggregation Polls included Dates administered Dates updated Approval Disapproval Unsure/no opinion[lower-alpha 1] Net
FiveThirtyEight[4] All polls until January 10, 2023 January 11, 2023 43.0% 52.0% 5.0% -9.0%
RealClearPolitics[5] All polls until January 10, 2023 January 11, 2023 44.6% 50.6% 4.2% -6.0%

  majority approve   plurality approve   plurality disapprove   majority disapprove

Most recent polls for Joseph R. Biden as of June 3, 2023
Polling group Date Sample size[lower-alpha 2] Margin of error Approval Disapproval Unsure/no opinion Net
ABC News\Washington Post[6] April 28–May 3, 2023 1,006 (A) ±0.5% 36% 56% 8% −20
NORC[7] March 16–20, 2023 1,081 (A) ±2.739% 38% 61% 1% −23
Léger[8] February 4–6, 2022 1,005 (A) ±3.09% 42% 55% 3% −13
Rasmussen Reports/Pulse Opinion Research (R)[9] February 9, 2022 1,500 (RV) ±3.0% 40% 58% 2% –18
Morning Consult[10] February 3–9, 2022 45,000 (A) ±2.03% 41% 51% 8% −9 [lower-alpha 3]
Ipsos[11] February 7–8, 2022 1,005 (A) ±3.8% 43% 51% 6% -8
YouGov (for The Economist)[12] February 19–22, 2022 1,500 (A) ±2.9% 41% 49% 10% -11
Suffolk University (for USA Today)[13] December 27–30, 2021 1,000 (RV) ±3.1% 40% 54% 2% −14
RMG Research (for Scott Rasmussen) (R)[14] January 18–19, 2022 1,200 (RV) ±2.8% 42% 52% 7%[lower-alpha 4] -10
HarrisX (for The Hill)[15] February 23–24, 2021 1,815 (RV) [lower-alpha 5] 38% 54% 8% -15

Historical Comparison
Historical Gallup Poll approval highs and lows for each president since 1937[16][17][18][lower-alpha 6]
Order President Highest approval Lowest approval High –
Low		 Highest disapproval Lowest disapproval Highest margin Lowest margin Final poll Approval
average[16]		 Polls
per year
46[19] Joe Biden 57 (2021-02-02, 2021-04-21)[20] 37 (2023-04-25) 20 59 (2022-07-26, 2023-04-25) 37 (2021-02-02) 20 (2021-02-02) −22 (2023-04-25) N/A N/A N/A
45[21] Donald Trump 49 (2020-01-29, 2020-03-22, 2020-04-28, 2020-05-13) 34 (2021-01-15) 15 62 (2021-01-15) 45 (2020-03-22) 4 (2020-03-22) −28 (2021-01-15) 34 (2021-01-15) 41[21] 40
44[22] Barack Obama 68 (2009-01-23) 38 (2011-08-29, 2011-10-06)[23] 30 55 (2014-06-22, 2014-10-12) 13 (2009-01-25) 56 (2009-01-23, 2009-01-24) −16 (2014-10-10) 59 (2017-01-19) 48 48.4
43[24] George W. Bush 90 (2001-09-21) 25 (2008-10-05, 2008-10-12, 2008-11-02) 65 71 (2008-10-10) 6 (2001-09-22) 83 (2001-09-22) −46 (2008-10-12) 34 (2009-01-11) 49 33.7
42[25] Bill Clinton 73 (1998-12-19) 37 (1993-06-06) 36 54 (1994-09-07) 20 (1993-01-26) 48 (2000-12-19) −14 (1994-09-07) 66 (2001-01-14) 55 28.5
41[26] George H. W. Bush 89 (1991-02-28) 29 (1992-08-02) 60 60 (1992-07-31) 6 (1989-01-26) 82 (1991-03-03) −30 (1992-08-02, 1992-10-13) 56 (1993-01-11) 61 39.5
40[27] Ronald Reagan 68 (1981-05-11, 1981-05-28, 1986-05-19) 35 (1983-01-31) 33 56 (1983-01-31) 13 (1981-02-02) 49 (1981-04-06) −21(1983-01-31) 63 (1988-12-29) 53 37.0
39[28] Jimmy Carter 75 (1977-03-21) 28 (1979-07-02) 47 59 (1979-07-02) 8 (1977-02-07, 1977-03-02) 66 (1977-03-15) −31 (1979-07-02) 34 (1980-12-08) 46 22.7
38[29] Gerald Ford 71 (1974-08-19) 38 (1975-03-10) 33 46 (1975-04-15, 1975-11-18) 3 (1974-08-19) 67 (1974-08-13) −7 (1975-02-25, 1975-03-25, 1975-04-15) 53 (1976-12-13) 47 14.7
37[30] Richard Nixon 67 (1969-11-17) 24 (1974-07-15, 1974-07-26, 1974-08-05) 43 66 (1974-08-05) 5 (1969-01-28) 57 (1969-03-17) −42 (1974-08-05) 24 (1974-08-05) 49 17.7
36[31] Lyndon B. Johnson 79 (1964-03-05) 35 (1968-08-12) 44 52 (1968-08-12) 2 (1963-12-10) 75 (1963-12-10) −18 (1968-08-12) 49 (1969-01-06) 55 15.3
35[32] John F. Kennedy 82 (1961-05-03, 1961-06-06) 56 (1963-09-17) 26 30 (1963-11-08) 5 (1961-04-11) 77 (1961-05-03) 29 (1963-10-16) 58 (1963-11-13) 70 13.7
34[33] Dwight Eisenhower 79 (1956-12-19) 48 (1958-04-01) 30 36 (1958-03-25) 7 (1953-02-05) 66 (1953-04-02, 1956-12-19) 12 (1958-03-25) 59 (1960-12-13) 65 14.4
33[34] Harry Truman 87 (1945-06-05) 22 (1951-11-16, 1952-02-14) 65 67 (1952-01-06) 3 (1945-06-05) 85 (1945-08-22) −43 (1952-01-04) 32 (1952-12-16) 45 8.4
32[35] Franklin D. Roosevelt 83 (1942-01-23) 48 (1939-08-18) 35 46 (1938-05-22, 1938-05-29, 1938-11-07) 73 (1942-01-23) 65 (1943-12-15) 63 8

Approval at the beginning of the presidency
Historical Gallup Poll approval at the beginning of each presidency since 1953[36]
Order President Initial Approval Initial Disapproval
46 Biden 57 (2021-02-02) 37 (2021-02-02)
45 Trump 45 (2021-01-29) 47 (2021-01-29)
44 Obama 68 (2009-01-23) 12 (2009-01-23)
43 G. W. Bush 57 (2001-02-05) 25 (2001-02-05)
42 Clinton 58 (1993-01-24) 20 (1993-01-24)
41 G. H. W. Bush 51 (1989-01-26) 6 (1989-01-26)
40 Reagan 51 (1981-02-02) 13 (1981-02-02)
39 Carter 66 (1977-01-07) 8 (1977-01-07)
38 Ford 71 (1974-08-19) 3 (1974-08-19)
37 Nixon 59 (1969-01-28) 5 (1969-01-28)
36 Johnson 78 (1963-12-10) 2 (1963-12-10)
35 Kennedy 72 (1961-02-15) 6 (1961-02-15)
34 Eisenhower 68 (1953-02-05) 7 (1953-02-05)
33 Truman 87 (1945-06-05) 3 (1945-06-05)

Graphs

See also

Notes
  1. Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other poll results combined.
  2. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
  3. Net percentage lower due to rounding up of approval and disapproval figures.
  4. Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
  5. None provided.
  6. Only the results of Gallup polls are included as no other poll results exist for presidents before President Clinton.

References
  1. "Presidential Approval Ratings – Donald Trump". Gallup. November 16, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  2. Jones, J. (2022). Who had the highest Gallup presidential job approval rating? Gallup. Retrieved from Who Had the Highest Gallup Presidential Job Approval Rating?
  3. Jones, J. (2022). Who had the lowest Gallup presidential job approval rating? Gallup. Retrieved from Who Had the Lowest Gallup Presidential Job Approval Rating?
  4. "How Popular Is Joe Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  5. "President Biden Job Approval". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. Washington Post-ABC News
  7. March 2023 AP-NORC Center Poll
  8. "North American Tracker" (PDF). Léger. February 11, 2022.
  9. "Biden Approval Index History". Rasmussen Reports. September 1, 2021.
  10. "Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker". Morning Consult. February 10, 2022.
  11. "Core Political Data". The Hill. February 11, 2022. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  12. "The Economist/YouGov Poll" (PDF). YouGov. February 21, 2022.
  13. "USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll: Red flags for the GOP on the midterms, for Biden on leadership". Suffolk University. February 11, 2022.
  14. Lington, Laura (February 11, 2022). "0118 JA AMERICA'S BEST DAYS". Scott Rasmussen.
  15. Manchester, Julia (February 25, 2022). "Biden's job approval hits new low: poll". The Hill.
  16. "Presidential Approval Ratings – Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends". Gallup. March 12, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  17. Lydia Saad (March 29, 2017). "Trump's Approval Rating Unusually Low, Unusually Early". Gallup. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  18. The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
  19. "Gallup Daily: Biden Job Approval". Gallup.com. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  20. "Biden Job Approval a Respectable 57% at 100 Days". Gallup. April 23, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  21. "Gallup Daily: Trump Job Approval". Gallup. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  22. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Barack Obama". March 9, 2008.
  23. Inc, Gallup. "Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval". Gallup.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  24. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- George Bush". Gallup. January 20, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  25. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Bill Clinton". Gallup. March 11, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  26. "Presidential Job Approval for George H. W. Bush". American Presidency Project.
  27. "Presidential Job Approval for Ronald Reagan". American Presidency Project.
  28. "Presidential Job Approval for Jimmy Carter". American Presidency Project.
  29. "Presidential Job Approval for Gerald Ford". American Presidency Project.
  30. "Presidential Job Approval for Richard Nixon". American Presidency Project.
  31. "Presidential Job Approval for Lyndon B. Johnson". American Presidency Project.
  32. "Presidential Job Approval for John F. Kennedy". American Presidency Project.
  33. Presidential Job Approval for "Dwight D. Eisenhower". American Presidency Project.
  34. "Presidential Job Approval for Harry S. Truman". American Presidency Project.
  35. "Presidential Job Approval for Franklin D. Roosevelt". American Presidency Project.
  36. Gerhard, Peters (February 4, 2021). "Initial Presidential Job Approval Ratings". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
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