GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey finds the American public expressing positive views about President George W. Bush personally, but having ambivalent views about his performance in office. The president's approval rating is down to 50%, tying the lowest level of his presidency, at the same time that 68% of Americans approve of Bush "as a person." Several ratings of his personal characteristics have slipped over the past several months, though the biggest declines are found on policy rather than personal issues.
The poll, conducted Nov. 14-16, finds Bush's approval rating identical to that measured two months ago, Sept. 19-21, 50% approve to 47% disapprove, which was the worst rating recorded during his presidency. Prior to that Bush's term-low rating was a 51% score in a poll conducted immediately before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
| George W. Bush's Job Approval Rating |
 |
As terrorist incidents and attacks in Iraq accelerated at the end of the summer, Bush's approval rating dropped from the high 50s and low 60s to 50% after being as high as 71% during the initial phases of the war with Iraq in mid-March. In recent weeks, Bush's approval rating edged back into the mid-50s as he made a concerted effort to appear in front of various groups to defend his administration's war efforts (and perhaps because of the extensive publicity given the high levels of third-quarter economic growth). The latest decline follows even more intensive fighting in Iraq, suggesting the public's evaluation of the president these days is at least to some degree driven by the events in that country.
Despite the mixed job approval rating, about two in three Americans approve of Bush "as a person," roughly in line with his rating on this dimension in two polls conducted in 2001.
Apart from whether you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president, what do you think of Bush as a person? Would you say you approve or disapprove of him?
|
Approve |
Disapprove |
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2003 Nov 14-16 |
68 |
27 |
5 |
|
2001 Jul 10-11 |
70 |
25 |
5 |
|
2001 Feb 9-11 |
65 |
27 |
8 |
The divergence of the two approval ratings suggests that most Americans tend to like the president, despite their disagreements with his policies.
Personal Characteristics
Though Americans may approve of the president as a person, they do not necessarily admire him. Half do, half don't. A slight majority, 53%, believe he shares their values, but a slightly lower percentage, 48%, say he generally agrees with them on issues they care about. That is down 16 percentage points from the end of April 2002 -- at a time when his approval rating was 27 points higher (at 77%).
BUSH QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
Percentage who say characteristic "applies"
|
Last Measure |
Current Measure |
Change |
|
|
% |
% |
Percentage Points |
|
|
Is a strong and decisive leader |
75 * |
66 |
-9 |
|
Is honest and trustworthy |
65 * |
59 |
-6 |
|
Shares your values |
54 ^ |
53 |
-1 |
|
Is a person you admire |
54 * |
50 |
-4 |
|
Cares about the needs of people like you |
57 * |
49 |
-8 |
|
Can get the economy moving |
na |
48 |
|
|
Generally agrees with you on issues you care about |
64 # |
48 |
-16 |
|
Is in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives |
na |
42 |
|
|
*2003 June 27-29 |
|||
|
^2003 Jan. 10-12 |
|||
|
#2002 Apr. 29-May 1 |
|||
|
na: Not Available |
|||
Similarly, less than half of all Americans say Bush cares about the needs of people like them (49%), can get the economy moving (48%), and is in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives (42%).
Bush's strongest ratings are personal -- 66% say he is a strong and decisive leader, and 59% say he is honest and trustworthy. Both of these ratings are down from this past June, by nine and six points, respectively. In June, Bush's approval rating was 11 points higher than it is now.
Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,004 national adults, aged 18 years and older, conducted Nov. 14-16, 2003. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the 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.
5. Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think it applies or doesn't apply to George W. Bush. How about -- [ROTATED]?
A. Cares about the needs of people like you
|
Applies |
Doesn't apply |
No opinion |
||
|
% |
% |
% |
||
|
2003 Nov 14-16 |
49 |
50 |
1 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 |
57 |
42 |
1 |
|
|
2003 Apr 5-6 |
65 |
34 |
1 |
|
|
2003 Jan 10-12 ^ |
56 |
41 |
3 |
|
|
2002 Nov 8-10 |
60 |
38 |
2 |
|
|
2002 Jul 26-28 |
60 |
36 |
4 |
|
|
2002 Apr 29-May 1 |
66 |
31 |
3 |
|
|
2001 Oct 5-6 |
69 |
29 |
2 |
|
|
2001 Jul 10-11 |
57 |
40 |
3 |
|
|
2001 Apr 20-22 |
59 |
39 |
2 |
|
|
2001 Feb 9-11 |
56 |
39 |
5 |
|
|
2000 Mar 10-12 |
51 |
42 |
7 |
|
|
2000 Jan 17-19 |
56 |
33 |
11 |
|
|
1999 Sep 10-14 |
59 |
32 |
9 |
|
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
59 |
32 |
9 |
|
|
^ |
Asked of a half sample. |
|||
B. Is honest and trustworthy
|
Applies |
Doesn't apply |
No opinion |
||
|
% |
% |
% |
||
|
2003 Nov 14-16 |
59 |
40 |
1 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 |
65 |
33 |
2 |
|
|
2003 Apr 5-6 |
73 |
25 |
2 |
|
|
2003 Jan 10-12 ^ |
70 |
27 |
3 |
|
|
2002 Jul 26-28 |
69 |
26 |
5 |
|
|
2002 Apr 29-May 1 |
77 |
20 |
3 |
|
|
2001 Jul 10-11 |
66 |
31 |
3 |
|
|
2001 Apr 20-22 |
67 |
29 |
4 |
|
|
2001 Feb 9-11 |
64 |
29 |
7 |
|
|
2000 Mar 10-12 |
64 |
28 |
8 |
|
|
1999 Sep 10-12 |
62 |
29 |
9 |
|
|
^ |
Asked of a half sample. |
|||
C. Is a person you admire
|
Applies |
Doesn't apply |
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2003 Nov 14-16 |
50 |
49 |
1 |
|
2003 Jun 27-29 |
54 |
45 |
1 |
|
2002 Apr 29-May 1 |
64 |
33 |
3 |
|
2001 Feb 9-11 |
49 |
47 |
4 |
|
2000 Feb 20-21 |
45 |
49 |
6 |
D. Is a strong and decisive leader
|
Applies |
Doesn't apply |
No opinion |
||
|
% |
% |
% |
||
|
2003 Nov 14-16 |
66 |
34 |
* |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 |
75 |
24 |
1 |
|
|
2003 Apr 5-6 |
80 |
19 |
1 |
|
|
2003 Jan 10-12 ^ |
76 |
23 |
1 |
|
|
2002 Jul 26-28 |
70 |
27 |
3 |
|
|
2002 Apr 29-May 1 |
77 |
21 |
2 |
|
|
2001 Oct 5-6 |
75 |
23 |
2 |
|
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
55 |
43 |
2 |
|
|
2001 Jul 10-11 |
57 |
40 |
3 |
|
|
2001 Apr 20-22 |
60 |
37 |
3 |
|
|
2001 Feb 9-11 |
61 |
34 |
5 |
|
|
2000 Mar 10-12 |
63 |
30 |
7 |
|
|
2000 Feb 25-27 |
61 |
32 |
7 |
|
|
2000 Feb 20-21 |
58 |
33 |
9 |
|
|
2000 Feb 4-6 |
62 |
30 |
8 |
|
|
2000 Jan 17-19 |
66 |
24 |
10 |
|
|
1999 Mar 4 |
60 |
14 |
26 |
|
|
^ |
Asked of a half sample. |
|||
|
* |
Less than 0.5%. |
|||
E. Shares your values
|
Applies |
Doesn't apply |
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2003 Nov 14-16 |
53 |
46 |
1 |
|
2003 Jan 10-12 |
54 |
43 |
3 |
|
2002 Nov 8-10 |
66 |
31 |
3 |
|
2002 Jul 26-28 |
60 |
36 |
4 |
|
2002 Apr 29-May 1 |
67 |
30 |
3 |
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
56 |
41 |
3 |
|
2001 Jul 10-11 |
56 |
40 |
4 |
|
2001 Apr 20-22 |
58 |
39 |
3 |
|
2001 Feb 9-11 |
57 |
39 |
4 |
|
2000 Mar 10-12 |
52 |
41 |
7 |
|
2000 Jan 17-19 |
55 |
32 |
13 |
|
1999 Sep 10-14 |
56 |
34 |
10 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
58 |
31 |
11 |
