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Bush Approval Rating Stands at 36% in U.S.

July 16, 2006

- Public support for George W. Bush remains low in the United States, according to two recent public opinion polls. In a survey by Ipsos-Public Affairs released by the Associated Press, 36 per cent of respondents approve of George W. Bush's performance, up one point since June.

Bush's approval rating also stands at 36 per cent in a study conducted by Opinion Dynamics for Fox News, down five points since late-June.

Bush—a Republican—earned a second four-year term in the November 2004 presidential election. Yesterday, Bush met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. The American president expressed satisfaction with bilateral relations, saying, "We've got a lot to work on. We discussed North Korea and Iran. Those are two difficult issues, made less difficult because Russia and the United States are willing to work together to send clear messages to both governments that their nuclear weapons ambitions are not acceptable."

American voters will renew the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate on Nov. 7.

Polling Data

a) Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Jul. 2006

Jun. 2006

May 2006

Approve

36%

35%

33%

Disapprove

63%

63%

65%

Mixed feelings

1%

2%

2%

Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted from Jul. 10 to Jul. 12, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

b) Do you approve or disapprove of how George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Jul. 12

Jun. 28

Jun. 14

May 18

Approve

36%

41%

40%

35%

Disapprove

53%

50%

52%

56%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Jul. 11 and Jul. 12, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.