May 04, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public backing for George W. Bush remains particularly low in the United States, according to a review of nine recent public opinion polls. In a survey by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News, 33 per cent of respondents approve of their president’s performance.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public backing for George W. Bush remains particularly low in the United States, according to a review of nine recent public opinion polls. In a survey by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News, 33 per cent of respondents approve of their president’s performance.

Bush’s rating stands at 32 per cent in a study by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News; 28 per cent in polls by Gallup for USA Today, CBS News and the New York Times, Opinion Research Corporation for CNN, and the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press; 27 per cent in a survey by Hart/McInturff for the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, and 22 per cent in a study by 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 Apr. 29, Bush discussed the country’s financial status, saying, "This is a tough time for our economy. Across our country many Americans are understandably anxious about issues affecting their pocketbook, from gas and food prices to mortgage and tuition bills. (...) Instead of increasing costs and increasing new roadblocks to domestic energy production, Congress needs to clear away obstacles to more affordable, more reliable energy here at home."

Polling Data

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

	Apr. 13	Mar. 2	Feb. 1	Jan. 12
Approve	33%	32%	33%	32%
Disapprove	65%	66%	65%	66%

Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,197 American adults, conducted from Apr. 10 to Apr. 13, 2008. 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. 29	Mar. 19	Feb. 20	Jan. 31
Approve	32%	30%	32%	33%
Disapprove	60%	62%	59%	60%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Apr. 28 and Apr. 29, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

	Apr. 20	Mar. 16	Feb. 21	Feb. 2
Approve	28%	32%	32%	34%
Disapprove	69%	64%	62%	61%

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,016 American adults, conducted from Apr. 18 to Apr. 20, 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?

	Apr. 17	Mar. 6	Feb. 7	Aug. 1
Approve	28%	30%	30%	29%
Disapprove	65%	61%	60%	63%

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates / Newsweek
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,356 American adults, conducted on Apr. 16 and Apr. 17, 2008. Margin of error is 2.7 per cent.

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

	Apr. 29	Apr. 2	Mar. 18	Feb 24
Approve	28%	28%	29%	30%
Disapprove	65%	64%	64%	64%

Source: CBS News / New York Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,065 American adults, conducted from Apr. 25 to Apr. 29, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

	Apr. 30	Mar. 16	Feb. 3	Jan. 17
Approve	28%	31%	32%	34%
Disapprove	71%	67%	67%	63%

Source: Opinion Research Corporation / CNN
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,008 American adults, conducted from Apr. 28 to Apr. 30, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

	Apr. 2008	Mar. 2008	Feb. 2008	Jan. 2008
Approve	27%	28%	33%	31%
Disapprove	65%	63%	59%	59%

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,502 American adults, conducted from Apr. 23 to Apr. 27, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

	Apr. 28	Mar. 10	Jan. 22	Dec. 17
Approve	27%	32%	31%	34%
Disapprove	66%	63%	63%	60%

Source: Hart/McInturff / The Wall Street Journal / NBC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,006 American adults, conducted from Apr. 25 to Apr. 28, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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

	Apr. 2008	Mar. 2008	Feb. 2008	Jan. 2008
Approve	22%	24%	19%	34%
Disapprove	72%	75%	77%	59%

Source: American Research Group
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,100 American adults, conducted from Apr. 16 to Apr. 19, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.