Americans Praise Carter for Work Done After Leaving White House
Richard Nixon and George W. Bush perceived as former presidents who have done the least for the world.
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(09/29/10) -
Richard Nixon and George W. Bush perceived as former presidents who have done the least for the world.
Earlier this month, former president Jimmy Carter stated that his role as a former president is “probably superior to that of other presidents.” A new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll shows that Carter indeed outranks six other former American heads of state in this indicator.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,012 American adults, one third of respondents (32%) think Carter has done the most for the world after leaving office. Bill Clinton is second with 29 per cent, followed by Ronald Reagan with nine per cent.
Carter is regarded positively for his post-White House work by Democrats (34%), Republicans (32%) and Independents (39%). Clinton gets praise from two-in-five Democrats (41%), but Independents (24%) and Republicans (17%) are not as supportive.
When asked which of the last seven former American presidents has done the least for the world after leaving office, respondents choose George W. Bush (22%) and Richard Nixon (22%), followed by Gerald Ford (9%) and George H. Bush (9%). Democrats are particularly disappointed with Bush (31%), while Republicans are more likely to point the finger at Nixon (28%).
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
Methodology: From September 22 to September 23, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,012 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.
