Issue Watch

About Angus Reid Global Monitor

The definitive online source for examining worldwide public opinion and democratic processes.

The Global Monitor is a vital source of timely political intelligence for journalists, students, policy makers, and citizens. By merging academic expertise with the highest journalistic standards, we seek to advance research, improve information exchange, and enhance understanding of the changing dynamic of public opinion and democracy.
Read More

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

All fields are required.

President Bush Remains Unpopular in U.S.

February 10, 2008

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few adults in the United States are satisfied with George W. Bush, according to a review of six recent public opinion polls. In a survey by Gallup released by USA Today, 34 per cent of respondents approve of their president’s performance.

Bush’s rating stands at 33 per cent in studies by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News, and Opinion Dynamics for Fox News, 32 per cent in a poll by Opinion Research Corporation released by CNN, 30 per cent in a survey by Ipsos-Public Affairs for the Associated Press, and 27 per cent in a study by CBS News.

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 Feb. 8, Bush addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), saying, "We applied our philosophy to questions affecting the moral fabric of our nation. We believe that all human life is precious and deserves to be protected. In 2001, I had a grave decision to make on the question of embryonic stem cell research. I believed we could empower scientists and researchers to discover cures for terrible diseases—without crossing a moral line. So I authorized research on existing stem cell lines, and stood against any effort to use federal tax dollars to support the destruction of human life."

Polling Data

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

 

Feb. 2

Jan. 13

Jan. 6

Dec. 16

Approve

34%

34%

32%

32%

Disapprove

61%

60%

64%

65%

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,020 American adults, conducted from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, 2008. Margin of error is 2 per cent.

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

 

Feb. 1

Jan. 12

Dec. 9

Nov. 1

Approve

33%

32%

33%

33%

Disapprove

65%

66%

64%

64%

Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,249 American adults, conducted from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 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?

 

Jan. 31

Dec. 19

Nov. 14

Oct. 24

Approve

33%

36%

36%

35%

Disapprove

60%

57%

56%

55%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

 

Feb. 3

Jan. 17

Jan. 10

Dec. 9

Approve

32%

34%

32%

32%

Disapprove

67%

63%

66%

66%

Source: Opinion Research Corporation / CNN
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,192 American adults, conducted from Feb. 1 to Feb. 3, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

 

Feb. 6

Jan. 9

Dec. 5

Nov. 7

Approve

30%

34%

36%

32%

Disapprove

66%

63%

61%

65%

Mixed feelings

3%

2%

1%

3%

Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,006 American adults, conducted from Feb. 4 to Feb. 6, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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

 

Feb. 2

Jan. 12

Dec. 9

Oct. 16

Approve

27%

29%

28%

30%

Disapprove

65%

62%

65%

61%

Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,178 American adults, conducted from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.