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Bush Rating Remains Low in United States

April 23, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few Americans are satisfied with George W. Bush, according to two recent public opinion polls. In a survey by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News, 35 per cent of respondents approve of the way the American president is handling his job, down one point since late February.

Bush's approval rating stands at 38 per cent in a study by Opinion Dynamics for Fox News, up five points since late March.

Bush—a Republican—earned a second four-year term in the November 2004 presidential election. The U.S. president's approval rating has not surpassed the 40 per cent mark in a national survey since December 2006.

In his Apr. 21 radio address, Bush discussed the topic of violence in the aftermath of a brutal incident at Virginia Tech University—where a student killed 32 people and himself—saying, "I have directed (federal government) officials to travel to communities across our nation, to meet with educators, mental health experts, and state and local officials. I have asked the secretary of health and human services, Mike Leavitt, to summarize what they learn and report back to me with recommendations about how we can help to avoid such tragedies."

Polling Data

a) Do you approve or disapprove of George W. Bush's performance as president?

Apr. 12

Feb. 25

Jan. 19

Dec. 11

Approve

35%

36%

33%

36%

Disapprove

62%

62%

65%

62%

Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,141 American adults, conducted from Apr. 12 to Apr. 15, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

Apr. 18

Mar. 28

Feb. 28

Feb. 14

Approve

38%

33%

34%

35%

Disapprove

54%

61%

57%

56%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Apr. 17 and Apr. 18, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.