December 25, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for George W. Bush remains low in the United States, according to a review of four recent public opinion polls. In a survey by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News, 36 per cent of respondents approve of the American president’s performance.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for George W. Bush remains low in the United States, according to a review of four recent public opinion polls. In a survey by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News, 36 per cent of respondents approve of the American president’s performance.

Bush’s rating stands at 34 per cent in a study by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, and 32 per cent in polls by Gallup released by USA Today, and American Research Group.

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 Dec. 20, Bush discussed his administration’s achievements in 2007, saying, "I think recent days have been a moment that the country can be proud of. In the past few days we have stopped a tax increase on the middle-class families, we improved our energy security, we delivered relief to struggling homeowners, and we funded our troops. I want to thank the members of both parties for their hard work in these areas. I’m pleased that we have been able to end this year on a high note by moving beyond our differences and achieving important results for the American people."

Polling Data

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

	Dec. 19	Nov. 14	Oct. 24	Oct. 10
Approve	36%	36%	35%	35%
Disapprove	57%	56%	55%	56%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

b) In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that George W. Bush is doing as president?

	Dec. 17	Nov. 5	Sept. 10	Jul. 30
Approve	34%	31%	33%	31%
Disapprove	60%	63%	61%	63%

Source: Hart/McInturff / The Wall Street Journal / NBC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,008 American adults, conducted from Dec. 14 to Dec. 17, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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

	Dec. 16	Dec. 2	Nov. 14	Nov. 4
Approve	32%	34%	32%	31%
Disapprove	65%	62%	61%	64%

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,011 American adults, conducted from Dec. 14 to Dec. 16, 2007. 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?

	Dec. 2007	Nov. 2007	Oct. 2007	Sept. 2007
Approve	32%	31%	25%	34%
Disapprove	66%	64%	67%	60%

Source: American Research Group
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,100 American adults, conducted from Dec. 16 to Dec. 19, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.