Bush Ratings Show Decline

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Opinions of George W. Bush are at or near lows for his presidency, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll. Bush's 46% approval rating is just one point higher than the low of his term, and his ratings on the economy, Iraq, and Social Security have never been lower. Only 4 in 10 Americans say they agree with Bush on issues that matter most to them, and just a bare majority says he has the personality and leadership qualities a president should have.

The May 20-22 poll finds 46% of Americans approving and 50% disapproving of the job Bush is doing as president. In late March, 45% approved of Bush, the lowest Gallup has measured during the Bush presidency. There were modest signs of recovery in public support for Bush in April and early May, including a pair of 50% approval ratings during that time. But now, in the midst of concerns about the economy and controversy over some of his judicial nominations, his approval rating has dipped again.

Aside from Richard Nixon, who was dealing with the Watergate scandal, all two-term presidents since Truman were comfortably above 50% during the month of May following their re-election. With only a few exceptions, Bush's approval rating has hovered around 50% since February 2004.

Bush on the Issues

Just 40% of Americans say they agree with Bush "on the issues that matter most" to them. Fifty-seven percent say they disagree. While this question is not updated on a regular basis, this is clearly the worst reading of Bush's presidency. The prior low was 46% agreement in September 2003.

With that backdrop, it is not surprising that Americans' ratings of Bush for handling specific issues are among the lowest (if not the lowest) of his presidency. Specifically,

Forty percent of Americans approve of Bush's handling of the economy. Forty-one percent was the previous low mark, reached several times.

Forty-four percent approve of Bush on foreign affairs; his low on this was a 42% reading last May.

Forty percent approve of the way Bush is dealing with the situation in Iraq, the lowest of his term. He received 41% ratings in May and June 2004.

Thirty-three percent approve of Bush's handling of Social Security. It had been at 35% in three separate polls since late February.

Fifty-five percent approve of Bush on terrorism. His low mark on this issue was 52% in May 2004.

On a personal level, Bush is also taking a bit of a hit. A bare majority of Americans, 52%, say they agree that "Bush has the personality and leadership qualities a president should have," while 45% disagree. That is down from 57% just before his re-election, and is the lowest percentage on this measure to date.

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,006 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted May 20-22, 2005. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects 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. For results based on the 517 national adults in the Form A half-sample and 489 national adults in the Form B half-sample, the maximum margins of sampling error are ±5 percentage points.

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

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005
2005 May 20-22	46	50	4
2005 May 2-5	50	45	5
2005 Apr 29-May 1	48	49	3
2005 Apr 18-21	48	49	3
2005 Apr 4-7	50	45	5
2005 Apr 1-2	48	48	4
2005 Mar 21-23	45	49	6
2005 Mar 18-20	52	44	4
2005 Mar 7-10	52	44	4
2005 Feb 25-26	52	45	3
2005 Feb 21-24	51	45	4
2005 Feb 7-10	49	48	3
2005 Feb 4-6	57	40	3
2005 Jan 14-16	51	46	3
2005 Jan 7-9	52	44	4
2005 Jan 3-5	52	44	4
2004
2004 Dec 17-19	49	46	5
2004 Dec 5-8	53	44	3
2004 Nov 19-21	55	42	3
2004 Nov 7-10	53	44	3
2004 Oct 29-31	48	47	5
2004 Oct 22-24	51	46	3
2004 Oct 14-16	51	47	2
2004 Oct 11-14	48	49	3
2004 Oct 9-10	47	49	4
2004 Oct 1-3	50	48	2
2004 Sep 24-26	54	44	2
2004 Sep 13-15	52	45	3
2004 Sep 3-5	52	46	2
2004 Aug 23-25	49	47	4
2004 Aug 9-11	51	46	3
2004 Jul 30-Aug 1	48	49	3
2004 Jul 19-21	49	47	4
2004 Jul 8-11	47	49	4
2004 Jun 21-23	48	49	3
2004 Jun 3-6	49	49	2
2004 May 21-23	47	49	4
2004 May 7-9	46	51	3
2004 May 2-4	49	48	3
2004 Apr 16-18	52	45	3
2004 Apr 5-8	52	45	3
2004 Mar 26-28	53	44	3
2004 Mar 8-11	50	47	3
2004 Mar 5-7	49	48	3
2004 Feb 16-17	51	46	3
2004 Feb 9-12	51	46	3
2004 Feb 6-8	52	44	4
2004 Jan 29-Feb 1	49	48	3
2004 Jan 12-15	53	44	3
2004 Jan 9-11	59	38	3
2004 Jan 2-5	60	35	5

2003	%	%	%
2003 Dec 15-16	63	34	3
2003 Dec 11-14	56	41	3
2003 Dec 5-7	55	43	2
2003 Nov 14-16	50	47	3
2003 Nov 10-12	51	45	4
2003 Nov 3-5	54	43	3
2003 Oct 24-26	53	42	5
2003 Oct 10-12	56	40	4
2003 Oct 6-8	55	42	3
2003 Sep 19-21	50	47	3
2003 Sep 8-10	52	43	5
2003 Aug 25-26	59	37	4
2003 Aug 4-6	60	36	4
2003 Jul 25-27	58	38	4
2003 Jul 18-20	59	38	3
2003 Jul 7-9	62	34	4
2003 Jun 27-29	61	36	3
2003 Jun 12-15	63	33	4
2003 Jun 9-10	62	34	4
2003 May 30-Jun 1	64	32	4
2003 May 19-21	66	30	4
2003 May 5-7	69	28	3
2003 Apr 22-23	70	26	4
2003 Apr 14-16	71	24	5
2003 Apr 7-9	69	26	5
2003 Apr 5-6	70	27	3
2003 Mar 29-30	71	26	3
2003 Mar 24-25	69	27	4
2003 Mar 22-23	71	25	4
2003 Mar 14-15	58	38	4
2003 Mar 3-5	57	37	6
2003 Feb 24-26	57	37	6
2003 Feb 17-19	58	37	5
2003 Feb 7-9	61	34	5
2003 Feb 3-6	59	35	6
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2	61	35	4
2003 Jan 23-25	60	36	4
2003 Jan 20-22	58	36	6
2003 Jan 13-16	61	34	5
2003 Jan 10-12	58	37	5
2003 Jan 3-5	63	32	5
2002
2002 Dec 19-22	61	32	7
2002 Dec 16-17	63	33	4
2002 Dec 9-10	63	32	5
2002 Dec 5-8	64	29	7
2002 Nov 22-24	65	28	7
2002 Nov 11-14	66	26	8
2002 Nov 8-10	68	27	5
2002 Oct 31-Nov 3	63	29	8
2002 Oct 21-22	67	28	5
2002 Oct 14-17	62	31	7
2002 Oct 3-6	67	28	5
2002 Sep 23-26	68	26	6
2002 Sep 20-22	66	30	4
2002 Sep 13-16	70	26	4
2002 Sep 5-8	66	30	4
2002 Sep 2-4	66	29	5
2002 Aug 19-21	65	28	7
2002 Aug 5-8	68	26	6
2002 Jul 29-31	71	23	6
2002 Jul 26-28	69	26	5
2002 Jul 22-24	69	24	7
2002 Jul 9-11	73	21	6
2002 Jul 5-8	76	18	6
2002 Jun 28-30	76	19	5
2002 Jun 21-23	73	21	6
2002 Jun 17-19	74	20	6
2002 Jun 7-8	74	18	8
2002 Jun 3-6	70	23	7
2002 May 28-29	77	17	6
2002 May 20-22	76	17	7
2002 May 6-9	76	19	5
2002 Apr 29-May 1	77	20	3
2002 Apr 22-24	77	17	6
2002 Apr 8-11	75	20	5
2002 Apr 5-7	76	19	5
2002 Mar 22-24	79	17	4
2002 Mar 18-20	79	16	5
2002 Mar 8-9	80	14	6
2002 Mar 4-7	77	18	5
2002 Mar 1-3	81	14	5
2002 Feb 8-10	82	14	4
2002 Feb 4-6	82	14	4
2002 Jan 25-27	84	13	3
2002 Jan 11-14	83	13	4
2002 Jan 7-9	84	12	4

2001	%	%	%
2001 Dec 14-16	86	11	3
2001 Dec 6-9	86	10	4
2001 Nov 26-27	87	8	5
2001 Nov 8-11	87	9	4
2001 Nov 2-4	87	9	4
2001 Oct 19-21	88	9	3
2001 Oct 11-14	89	8	3
2001 Oct 5-6	87	10	3
2001 Sep 21-22	90	6	4
2001 Sep 14-15	86	10	4
2001 Sep 7-10	51	39	10
2001 Aug 24-26	55	36	9
2001 Aug 16-19	57	34	9
2001 Aug 10-12	57	35	8
2001 Aug 3-5	55	35	10
2001 Jul 19-22	56	33	11
2001 Jul 10-11	57	35	8
2001 Jun 28-Jul 1	52	34	14
2001 Jun 11-17	55	33	12
2001 Jun 8-10	55	35	10
2001 May 18-20	56	36	8
2001 May 10-14	56	31	13
2001 May 7-9	53	33	14
2001 Apr 20-22	62	29	9
2001 Apr 6-8	59	30	11
2001 Mar 26-28	53	29	18
2001 Mar 9-11	58	29	13
2001 Mar 5-7	63	22	15
2001 Feb 19-21	62	21	17
2001 Feb 9-11	57	25	18
2001 Feb 1-4	57	25	18

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling -- [ROTATED]? How about -- ?

A. The economy

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	40	58	2
2005 Apr 29-May 1	43	53	4
2005 Apr 1-2	41	55	4
2005 Feb 25-27	48	49	3
2005 Feb 7-10	45	52	3
2005 Feb 4-6	50	47	3
2005 Jan 7-9	50	48	2
2004 Nov 7-10	47	51	2
2004 Oct 14-16	46	51	3
2004 Sep 24-26	49	48	3
2004 Aug 9-11	46	51	3
2004 Jun 21-23	47	50	3
2004 Jun 3-6	41	58	1
2004 May 7-9	41	56	3
2004 May 2-4	41	56	3
2004 Apr 16-18	46	52	2
2004 Mar 26-28	42	55	3
2004 Feb 9-12	45	52	3
2004 Jan 29-Feb 1	43	54	3
2004 Jan 2-5	54	43	3
2003 Dec 5-7	48	49	3
2003 Nov 3-5	47	50	3
2003 Oct 6-8	42	55	3
2003 Sep 8-10	45	53	2
2003 Aug 25-26	45	52	3
2003 Jul 25-27	46	51	3
2003 Jul 18-20	45	51	4
2003 Jul 7-9	48	50	2
2003 Jun 12-15	48	48	4
2003 May 5-7	53	44	3
2003 Apr 14-16	49	45	6
2003 Mar 29-30	49	47	4
2003 Mar 24-25	52	42	6
2003 Mar 14-15	44	52	4
2003 Feb 3-6	44	52	4
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2	47	48	5
2003 Jan 23-25	46	49	5
2003 Jan 10-12	48	47	5
2003 Jan 3-5	49	47	4
2002 Dec 9-10	49	47	4
2002 Nov 8-10	55	39	6
2002 Oct 21-22	49	44	7
2002 Jul 26-28	52	43	5
2002 Jul 5-8	58	36	6
2002 Jun 28-30	63	33	4
2002 May 20-22	61	29	10
2002 Apr 5-7	60	33	7
2002 Mar 22-24	65	29	6
2002 Mar 1-3	64	31	5
2002 Feb 4-6	66	30	4
2002 Jan 25-27	64	30	6
2001 Nov 2-4	71	24	5
2001 Oct 5-6	72	23	5
2001 Jul 10-11	54	36	10
2001 May 18-20	51	41	8
2001 Apr 20-22	55	38	7
2001 Mar 9-11	55	32	13
2001 Feb 1-4	53	27	20

^ Asked of a half sample

B. Foreign affairs

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	44	51	5
2005 Apr 29-May 1	45	49	6
2005 Feb 25-27	50	46	4
2005 Feb 7-10	45	52	3
2005 Feb 4-6	51	44	5
2005 Jan 7-9	47	49	4
2004 Nov 7-10	47	50	3
2004 Sep 24-26	49	48	3
2004 Aug 9-11	44	51	5
2004 Jun 3-6	44	54	2
2004 May 2-4	42	53	5
2004 Feb 9-12	46	52	2
2004 Jan 29-Feb 1	46	51	3
2004 Jan 2-5	58	39	3
2003 Dec 5-7	53	43	4
2003 Nov 3-5	46	50	4
2003 Oct 6-8	49	49	2
2003 Sep 8-10	52	45	3
2003 Aug 25-26	55	42	3
2003 Jul 25-27	54	42	4
2003 Jul 18-20	54	41	5
2003 Jul 7-9	55	42	3
2003 Jun 12-15	58	39	3
2003 May 5-7	68	30	2
2003 Apr 14-16	65	31	4
2003 Mar 29-30	64	31	5
2003 Mar 24-25	65	30	5
2003 Mar 14-15	53	43	4
2003 Feb 3-6	49	46	5
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2	57	39	4
2003 Jan 23-25	50	45	5
2003 Jan 10-12	53	42	5
2003 Jan 3-5	60	35	5
2002 Dec 9-10	59	35	6
2002 Nov 8-10	59	36	5
2002 Oct 21-22	58	35	7
2002 Jul 26-28	63	30	7
2002 Jul 5-8	71	25	4
2002 Jun 28-30	66	27	7
2002 May 20-22	70	23	7
2002 Apr 5-7	70	24	6
2002 Mar 22-24	71	22	7
2002 Mar 1-3	78	17	5
2002 Feb 4-6	79	16	5
2002 Jan 25-27	83	14	3
2001 Oct 5-6	81	14	5
2001 Jul 10-11	54	33	13
2001 May 18-20	55	35	10
2001 Apr 20-22	56	31	13
2001 Mar 9-11	52	27	21
2001 Feb 1-4	46	21	33

^ Asked of a half sample

C. Terrorism

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	55	40	5
2005 Apr 1-2	57	40	3
2005 Feb 25-27	60	37	3
2005 Feb 7-10	55	42	3
2005 Jan 7-9	58	39	3
2004 Nov 7-10	60	37	3
2004 Oct 14-16	57	41	2
2004 Sep 24-26	62	36	2
2004 Aug 9-11	57	40	3
2004 Jun 21-23	54	44	2
2004 Jun 3-6	56	43	1
2004 May 7-9	54	43	3
2004 May 2-4	52	45	3
2004 Apr 16-18	60	39	1
2004 Mar 26-28	58	39	3
2003 Dec 5-7	65	33	2
2003 Sep 8-10	64	34	2
2003 Aug 25-26	66	31	3
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2	71	26	3

^ Asked of a half sample

D. The situation with Iraq

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	40	56	4
2005 Apr 29-May 1	42	55	3
2005 Apr 1-2	43	54	3
2005 Feb 25-27	45	53	2
2005 Feb 4-6	50	48	2
2005 Jan 7-9	42	56	2
2004 Nov 7-10	47	51	2
2004 Oct 14-16	46	52	2
2004 Sep 24-26	48	49	3
2004 Aug 9-11	45	52	3
2004 Jun 21-23	42	56	2
2004 Jun 3-6	41	57	2
2004 May 7-9	41	58	1
2004 May 2-4	42	55	3
2004 Apr 16-18	48	49	3
2004 Mar 26-28	51	47	2
2004 Jan 29-Feb 1	46	53	1
2004 Jan 2-5	61	36	3
2003 Dec 5-7	50	47	3
2003 Nov 3-5	45	54	1
2003 Oct 6-8	47	50	3
2003 Sep 8-10	51	47	2
2003 Aug 25-26	57	41	2
2003 Jul 25-27	60	38	2
2003 Jul 18-20	57	39	4
2003 Jul 7-9	58	39	3
2003 Jun 12-15	63	34	3
2003 Apr 14-16	76	21	3
2003 Mar 29-30	71	27	2
2003 Mar 24-25	71	26	3
2003 Mar 14-15	56	41	3
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2	54	42	4
2003 Jan 3-5	55	40	5
2002 Dec 9-10	55	39	6
2002 Oct 21-22	52	40	8

^ Asked of a half sample

E. Social Security

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	33	59	8
2005 Apr 29-May 1	35	58	7
2005 Apr 1-2	35	57	8
2005 Feb 25-27	35	56	9
2005 Feb 4-6	43	48	9
2005 Jan 7-9	41	52	7
2002 Mar 22-24	47	40	13
2001 Jul 10-11	49	35	16
2001 Mar 9-11	49	31	20

^ Asked of a half sample

3. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree that George W. Bush has the personality and leadership qualities a president should have.

BASED ON 489 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

	Agree	Disagree	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	52	45	3

2004 Oct 22-24 †	57	41	2
2004 Oct 1-3 †	57	42	1
2004 Sep 3-5 †	59	41	*
2004 Jul 30-Aug 1 †	55	43	2
2004 Jul 19-21 †	55	44	1
2004 Mar 5-7 †	57	40	3
2004 Jan 9-11	66	33	1
2003 Sep 19-21	59	40	1
2003 Jun 27-29	64	35	1
2002 Jan 25-27	79	19	2
2001 Aug 10-12	57	41	2
2001 Jun 8-10	54	42	4
2000 Aug 18-19 ‡	64	32	4
2000 Aug 11-12 ‡	65	28	7
2000 Aug 4-5 ‡	70	26	4
2000 Jul 25-26 ‡	62	32	6
2000 Apr 7-9 ‡	61	30	9
2000 Jan 17-19 ‡	65	28	7

* Less than 0.5%
^ Asked of a half sample
† Asked in rotation with John Kerry
‡ Asked in rotation with Al Gore

4. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with George W. Bush on the issues that matter most to you.

BASED ON 489 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

	Agree	Disagree	No opinion
	%	%	%
2005 May 20-22 ^	40	57	3

2004 Oct 22-24 †	49	49	2
2004 Oct 1-3 †	50	49	1
2004 Sep 3-5 †	50	48	2
2004 Jul 30-Aug 1 †	48	51	1
2004 Jul 19-21 †	47	50	3
2004 Mar 5-7 †	48	49	3
2004 Jan 9-11	55	44	1
2003 Sep 19-21	46	51	3
2003 Jun 27-29	53	46	1
2002 Jan 25-27	71	25	4
2001 Aug 10-12	52	42	6
2001 Jun 8-10	49	47	4

^ Asked of a half sample
† Asked in rotation with John Kerry

Bush Ratings Show Decline

At low points for his handling of economy, Iraq, Social Security

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