United States presidential approval rating
In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were first conducted by George Gallup (estimated to be 1937) to gauge public support for the president of the United States during their term. An approval rating is a percentage determined by polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an opinion poll who approve of a particular person or program. Typically, an approval rating is given to a politician based on responses to a poll in which a sample of people are asked whether they approve or disapprove of that particular political figure. A question might ask: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the current president is handling their job as president?"[1]
Like most surveys that measure opinions, individual poll results may be inaccurate. Many unscientific approval rating systems exist that show inaccurate statistics. Examples that self select, such as online questions are of this type; however, the aggregate approval rating is generally accepted by statisticians as a statistically valid indicator of the comparative changes in the popular United States mood regarding a president.
President Joe Biden's approval ratings[]
Source of poll aggregation | Polls included | Dates administered | Dates updated | Approval | Disapproval | Unsure/no opinion[a] | Net |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FiveThirtyEight[2] | All polls | until October 24, 2021 | Oct 24, 2021 | 43.4% | 50.7% | 5.9% | −7.3 |
RealClearPolitics[3] | All polls | Oct 1–21, 2021 | Oct 24, 2021 | 42.3% | 52.1% | 5.6% | −9.8 |
majority approve plurality approve plurality disapprove majority disapprove
Polling group | Date | Sample size[b] | Margin of error | Approval | Disapproval | Unsure/no opinion | Net |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Léger[4] | October 22–24, 2021 | 1,002 (A) | ±3.09% | 43% | 54% | 2%[c] | −11 |
Rasmussen Reports/Pulse Opinion Research (R)[5] | November 5, 2021 | 1,500 (RV) | ±3.0% | 43% | 55% | 1% | –12 |
Morning Consult[6] | November 4, 2021 | 40,246 (A) | ±0.5% | 44% | 48% | 8% | −4 |
Ipsos[7] | October 6–7, 2021 | 1,005 (A) | ±3.5% | 48% | 47% | 5% | +1 |
YouGov (for The Economist)[8] | October 9–12, 2021 | 1,500 (A) | ±2.7% | 40% | 50% | 11% | -10 |
Suffolk University (for USA Today)[9] | August 19–23, 2021 | 1,000 (RV) | [d] | 41.2% | 55.1% | 3.7% | −13.9 |
RMG Research (for Scott Rasmussen) (R)[10] | October 25–27, 2021 | 1,200 (RV) | [e] | 43% | 53% | 4%[f] | -10 |
HarrisX (for The Hill)[11] | October 26–28, 2021 | 1,578 (RV) | ±1.8% | 43% | 51% | 6% | -8 |
Historical Gallup polling comparison[]
Order | President | Highest approval | Lowest approval | High – Low |
Highest disapproval | Highest margin | Lowest margin | Final poll | Approval average[12] |
Polls per year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
46 | Biden | 57 (2021-02-02, 2021-04-21) [15] | 42 (2021-11-16, 2021-10-19)[16] | 15 | 55 (2021-12-14)[17] | 20 (2021-02-02) | −13 (2021-11-16) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
45[18][19][20] | Trump | 49 (2020-01-16, 2020-02-03, 2020-03-13) [18] | 34 (2021-01-15)[18] | 15 | 62 (2021-01-15)[18] | 4 (2020-03-13)[18] | −28 (2021-01-15)[18] | 34 (2021-01-15)[18] | 41[18] | 40 |
44[21][22] | Obama | 67 (2009-01-25) | 40 (2014-09-05)[h] | 31 | 55 (2014-06-22, 2014-10-12) | 56 (2009-01-23, 2009-01-24) | −18 (2014-10-10) | 59 (2017-01-19) | 47.9 | 48.4 |
43[23] | G. W. Bush | 90 (2001-09-21) | 25 (2008-10-05, 2008-10-12, 2008-11-02) | 65 | 71 (2008-10-10) | 83 (2001-09-22) | −46 (2008-10-12) | 34 (2009-01-11) | 49.4 | 33.7 |
42[24] | Clinton | 73 (1998-12-19) | 37 (1993-06-06) | 36 | 54 (1994-09-07) | 48 (2000-12-19) | −14 (1994-09-07) | 66 (2001-01-14) | 55.1 | 28.5 |
41[25] | G. H. W. Bush | 89 (1991-02-28) | 29 (1992-08-02, 1992-10-13) | 60 | 60 (1992-07-31) | 82 (1991-03-03) | −30 (1992-08-02, 1992-10-13) | 56 (1993-01-11) | 60.9 | 39.5 |
40[26] | Reagan | 74 (1986-01-30) | 35 (1983-01-31) | 36 | 56 (1983-01-28) | 52 (1986-01-30) | −21(1983-01-31) | 63 (1988-12-29) | 52.8 | 37.0 |
39[27] | Carter | 74 (1977-03-15) | 28 (1979-06-26, 1979-10-02) | 46 | 59 (1979-06-26) | 66 (1977-03-15) | −31 (1979-06-26) | 34 (1980-12-08) | 45.5 | 22.7 |
38[28] | Ford | 73 (1974-08-13) | 36 (1975-03-25) | 34 | 46 (1975-04-15, 1975-11-18) | 67 (1974-08-13) | −7 (1975-02-25, 1975-03-25, 1975-04-15) | 53 (1976-12-13) | 47.2 | 14.7 |
37[29] | Nixon | 67 (1973-01-23) | 24 (1974-01-02) | 42 | 66 (1974-08-05) | 57 (1969-03-17) | −42 (1974-08-05) | 24 (1974-08-05) | 49.1 | 17.7 |
36[30] | Johnson | 79 (1964-03-05) | 34 (1968-08-12) | 45 | 52 (1968-08-12) | 75 (1963-12-10) | −18 (1968-08-12) | 49 (1969-01-06) | 55.1 | 15.3 |
35[31] | Kennedy | 83 (1962-03-05) | 56 (1963-09-10) | 27 | 30 (1963-09-12, 1963-11-08) | 78 (1962-03-05) | 27 (1963-09-10) | 58 (1963-11-13) | 70.1 | 13.7 |
34[32] | Eisenhower | 81 (1955-11-22, 1956-12-19) | 47 (1958-03-25) | 30 | 36 (1958-03-25) | 66 (1953-04-02, 1956-12-19) | 12 (1958-03-25) | 59 (1960-12-13) | 65.0 | 14.4 |
33[33] | Truman | 87 (1945-06-05) | 22 (1951-11-16, 1952-02-14) | 65 | 67 (1952-01-06) | 85 (1945-08-22) | −43 (1952-01-04) | 32 (1952-12-16) | 45.4 | 8.4 |
32[34] | F. D. Roosevelt | 83 (1942-01-23) | 48 (1939-08-18) | 35 | 46 (1938-05-22, 1938-05-29, 1938-11-07) | 73 (1942-01-23) | 65 (1943-12-15) | 63 | 8 |
Approval at the beginning of the presidency[]
Order | President | Highest approval | Lowest disapproval |
---|---|---|---|
46 | Biden | 57 (2021-02-11) | 37 (2021-02-02) |
45 | Trump | 49 (2020-05-13) | 45 (2017-01-22) |
44 | Obama | 68 (2009-01-23) | 12 (2009-01-23) |
43 | G. W. Bush | 57 (2001-02-05) | 25 (2001-02-05) |
42 | Clinton | 58 (1993-01-24) | 20 (1993-01-24) |
41 | G. H. W. Bush | 51 (1989-01-26) | 6 (1989-01-26) |
40 | Reagan | 51 (1981-02-02) | 13 (1981-02-02) |
39 | Carter | 66 (1977-01-07) | 8 (1977-01-07) |
38 | Ford | 71 (1974-08-19) | 3 (1974-08-19) |
37 | Nixon | 59 (1969) | 5 (1969) |
36 | Johnson | 78 (1963) | 2 (1963) |
35 | Kennedy | 72 (1961) | 6 (1961) |
34 | Eisenhower | 68 (1953) | 7 (1953) |
33 | Truman | 87 (1945) | 3 (1945) |
Graphs[]
- Gallup Poll graphs of approval ratings for former presidents of the United States
See also[]
- Historical rankings of presidents of the United States
- Opinion polling on the Donald Trump administration
Notes[]
- ^ Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other poll results combined.
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters - ^ Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
- ^ None provided.
- ^ None provided.
- ^ Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
- ^ Only the results of Gallup polls are included as no other poll results exist for presidents before President Clinton.
- ^ Last of eight, sometimes overlapping, 3-day averages.
- ^ Only the results of Gallup polls are included as no other poll results exist for presidents before President Clinton.
References[]
- ^ "Presidential Approval Ratings – Donald Trump". Gallup. November 16, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ^ "How Popular Is Joe Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. January 28, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ "President Biden Job Approval". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ "North American Tracker" (PDF). Léger. October 25, 2021.
- ^ "Biden Approval Index History". Rasmussen Reports. September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker". Morning Consult. November 4, 2021.
- ^ "Core Political Data" (PDF). The Hill. October 7, 2021.
- ^ "The Economist/YouGov Poll" (PDF). YouGov. October 12, 2021.
- ^ "8-24-2021 National Poll with USA TODAY marginals" (PDF). Suffolk University. August 24, 2021.
- ^ Rasmussen, Scott (October 30, 2021). "IDEN: 43% APPROVE; 53% DISAPPROVE". Scott Rasmussen.
- ^ Schulte, Gabriela (November 2, 2021). "Poll: Biden approval drops to 43 percent in new poll". The Hill.
- ^ a b c "Presidential Approval Ratings – Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends". Gallup. March 12, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ Lydia Saad (March 29, 2017). "Trump's Approval Rating Unusually Low, Unusually Early". Gallup. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
- ^ Inc, Gallup (April 23, 2021). "Biden Job Approval a Respectable 57% at 100 Days". Gallup.com. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Joe Biden". February 5, 2021.
- ^ Inc, Gallup (February 5, 2021). "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Joe Biden". Gallup.com. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Gallup Daily: Trump Job Approval". Gallup. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
- ^ "Trump Job Approval (Weekly)". Gallup. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ Jeffrey M. Jones (April 24, 2018). "Trump's Fifth-Quarter Job Approval Up; Still Historically Low". Gallup.
- ^ Graphical display and numbers of Gallup "daily tracking" polls
- ^ "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Barack Obama". March 9, 2008.
- ^ "Gallup.com". Gallup.com. January 20, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Bill Clinton". gallup.com. March 11, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for George H. W. Bush". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Ronald Reagan". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Jimmy Carter". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Gerald Ford". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Richard Nixon". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Lyndon B. Johnson". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for John F. Kennedy". American Presidency Project.
- ^ Presidential Job Approval for "Dwight D. Eisenhower". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Harry S. Truman". American Presidency Project.
- ^ "Presidential Job Approval for Franklin D. Roosevelt". American Presidency Project.
- ^ Lydia Saad (March 29, 2017). "Trump's Approval Rating Unusually Low, Unusually Early". Gallup. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
- ^ Inc, Gallup (February 4, 2021). "Biden Begins Term With 57% Job Approval". Gallup.com.
External links[]
- "Historical Presidential Job Performance Ratings". Roper Center.
- "Trump approval ratings" Archived August 12, 2017, at archive.today. FiveThirtyEight.
- "Midterm Presidential Approval Ratings". Data360.
- "President Job Approval Ratings". PresidentPollsUSA.
- "Historical Presidential Approval Ratings 1945–2009". The Wall Street Journal.
- "President Obama's Ongoing Job Approval". (CongressRatings)
- Opinion polling in the United States
- United States presidential history
- Historical rankings of public figures
- Rating