January 30, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few American adults are satisfied with their president, according to a review of six recent public opinion polls. In surveys by Opinion Research Corporation released by CNN, Gallup released by USA Today, and Ipsos-Public Affairs released by the Associated Press, 34 per cent of respondents approve of George W. Bush’s performance.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few American adults are satisfied with their president, according to a review of six recent public opinion polls. In surveys by Opinion Research Corporation released by CNN, Gallup released by USA Today, and Ipsos-Public Affairs released by the Associated Press, 34 per cent of respondents approve of George W. Bush’s performance.

Bush’s rating stands at 32 per cent in a study by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News, 31 per cent in a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, and 29 per cent in a survey by the New York Times and 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 Dec. 20, Bush delivered his final State of the Union address. In his speech, the American president discussed his fiscal policies, saying, "Most Americans think their taxes are high enough. With all the other pressures on their finances, American families should not have to worry about their federal government taking a bigger bite out of their paychecks. There’s only one way to eliminate this uncertainty: Make the tax relief permanent. And members of Congress should know: If any bill raises taxes reaches my desk, I will veto it."

Polling Data

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

	Jan. 17	Jan. 10	Dec. 9	Nov. 4
Approve	34%	32%	32%	34%
Disapprove	63%	66%	66%	65%

Source: Opinion Research Corporation / CNN
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,393 American adults, conducted from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17, 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?

	Jan. 13	Jan. 6	Dec. 16	Dec. 2
Approve	34%	32%	32%	34%
Disapprove	60%	64%	65%	62%

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,010 American adults, conducted from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17, 2008. Margin of error is 2 per cent.

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

	Jan. 9	Dec. 5	Nov. 7	Oct. 3
Approve	34%	36%	32%	31%
Disapprove	63%	61%	65%	66%
Mixed feelings	2%	1%	3%	2%

Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,027 American adults, conducted from Jan. 7 to Jan. 9, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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

	Jan. 12	Dec. 9	Nov. 1	Sept. 30
Approve	32%	33%	33%	33%
Disapprove	66%	64%	64%	64%

Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,130 American adults, conducted from Jan. 9 to Jan. 12, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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

	Jan. 22	Dec. 17	Nov. 5	Sept. 10
Approve	31%	34%	31%	33%
Disapprove	63%	60%	63%	61%

Source: Hart/McInturff / The Wall Street Journal / NBC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,008 American adults, conducted from Jan. 20 to Jan. 22, 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?

	Jan. 12	Dec. 9	Oct. 16	Sept. 16
Approve	29%	28%	30%	29%
Disapprove	62%	65%	61%	64%

Source: New York Times / CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,178 American adults, conducted from Jan. 9 to Jan. 12, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.