(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - George W. Bush maintains a paltry rating in the United States, according to a review of five recent public opinion polls. In a survey by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek, 28 per cent of respondents approve of the way the president is handling his job.

Bush’s rating also stands at 28 per cent in studies by Ipsos-Public Affairs for the Associated Press, CBS News and the New York Times, and TNS for ABC News and the Washington Post. In a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, 26 per cent of respondents approve of Bush’s performance.

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.

On Jul. 15, Bush discussed economic matters, saying, "We’re going through a tough time, but our economy has continued growing, consumers are spending, businesses are investing, exports continue increasing, and American productivity remains strong. We can have confidence in the long-term foundation of our economy, and I believe we will come through this challenge stronger than ever before."

Polling Data

a) Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates / Newsweek
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,209 American adults, conducted on Jul. 9 and Jul. 10, 2008. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

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

Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted from Jul. 10 to Jul. 14, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

c) Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Source: CBS News / The New York Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,796 American adults, conducted from Jul. 7 to Jul. 14, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

d) Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Source: TNS / ABC News / Washington Post
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,119 American adults, conducted from Jul. 10 to Jul. 13, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

e) Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,725 likely American voters, conducted from Jul. 8 to Jul. 13, 2008. Margin of error is 2.4 per cent.

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