Bush Approval Increases to 57%, Highest Rating in a Year

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey shows that President George W. Bush's approval rating has increased to 57%, up from 51% three weeks ago. The approval increase appears to be related to the recent Iraqi elections, which the poll shows went better than most Americans expected. In general, the public is more positive now than it was before the elections about the way Bush has handled the situation in Iraq, as well as how the war is faring for the United States. At the same time, the poll shows little change in Bush's job approval rating on the economy or on Social Security.

The poll, conducted Feb. 4-6, shows that Bush's overall approval rating is the highest it has been in over a year. In fact, his approval rating has not exceeded 55% since a Jan. 9-11, 2004, poll, when 59% of Americans indicated their approval of the way Bush was handling the presidency. In the wake of the Democratic primaries and caucuses that followed, along with troubles in Iraq (such as the Abu Ghraib prison scandal), Bush's rating dropped as low as 46% (in May) and then fluctuated around 50% during the rest of the year.

By almost a two-to-one majority (61% to 31%), Americans said the elections in Iraq went better than expected. This perception appears to have led Americans to a generally more positive view about Iraq and about Bush.

The poll shows that 55% of Americans now say the war in Iraq was not a mistake, while just last month 52% of Americans felt it was a mistake.

Also, there is a 13-point increase in the percentage of Americans who say things are going well for the United States in Iraq -- 53% say either "very" or "moderately" well now, compared with 40% prior to the Iraqi elections.

These improved perceptions appear to have increased the public's approval of Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq specifically. At the same time, there has not been a significant change in Bush's job approval ratings on either the economy or Social Security, reinforcing the conclusion that the current increase in his overall rating is a result of the Iraqi elections.

The poll shows that Bush's economic approval held steady at 50%, while his Social Security approval rating is now only two percentage points higher than in January (43% to 41%, respectively). That difference is well within the poll's margin of error. Bush's foreign affairs approval rating also shows only a slight increase, from 47% to 51%.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,010 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Feb. 4-6, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

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

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling -- [RANDOM ORDER]?
 

A. The economy 

B. Foreign affairs

C. The situation in Iraq

D. Social Security 

21. In view of the developments since we first sent our troops to Iraq, do you think the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, or not? 

22. In general, how would you say things are going for the U.S. in Iraq -- [ROTATED: very well, moderately well, moderately badly, (or) very badly]?

25. Did the Iraqi election go -- [ROTATED: better than you expected, about as you expected, or worse than you expected]?