Presidential approval ratings

[A18]

How far back are they available? Could I get some links?

Questions include: what were the highest and lowest approval ratings for each president, and what was each president's approval rating at election time?

Thanks.

[Rob]

I know they go as far back as FDR. As as far the highest approval rating ever, that would be either FDR after Pearl Harbor, George Bush I after the Gulf War, or GWB after 911.

I'm pretty sure Carter got the lowest ratings ever. Also, Truman in 1952 and Nixon during Watergate had incredibly low ratings. I don't remember the exact numbers.

I don't know of any links, sorry.

[A18]

I know Tredrick posted some links before for Gallup data, though I think that was presidential election polls...

[nini2287]

My government book has a line graph of approval ratings dating bnack to 1945.  Here's a brief synopsis:

TRUMAN

He enjoyed his highest a pprovcal ratings (around 85%) immediately after FDR's death in 1945, but the ratings quickly droppde to aronud 32% around 1947,  he did rebound and by the start of his second term he was abck up to around 70%, but his ratings quickly and steadily dropped during his second term and finished in 1953 with a 29% approval rating (he was as low as 21% in 1952).

EISENHOWER

Eisenhower's approval ratings were much more steady, never fluctating too much from the 60-70% range.  His high came shortly after the start of his second term (77%) and his low was at 57% in 1959.  He started his first term with 67% approval and finished his second term with 63%.

KENNEDY

Kennedy started his term with 68% popularity and it decreased slightly to 58% (his lowest rating) at the time of his assisnation.  He hit 72% in 1962 for his high.

JOHNSON

In the wake of the Kennedy assasination, Johsnon was at 77%, but that quickly fell.  He was inaugurated for his second term with 41% approval and the ratings were relatively flat for the rest of his adminstartion with a high of 46% and a low of 33%.  He finished with 42% approval.

NIXON

Nixon began his first term wiht 57% approval.  He got as high as 64% in 1970 but then it quickly slid down to a low of 42% in 1972 but the time of his reelection he was back up to 61%.  As expected his approval plummeted in his second dterm and when he resigned he was at his low of 24%,

FORD

Ford took over from Nixon with 48% approval that slid to a low of 39% in 1975 and then he rebounded to 47% and finished with an approval rating of 44%.

CARTER

The Carter administration started with high marks at 63% (his overall high) and then his ratings quickly dropped and bounced back up a few times.  His overall low was 30% which he achieved in 1979 and 1980 and when he was defeated by Reagan he was at 32%.

REAGAN

After being elected, Reagan was at 57% approval, his rating went up slightly and then fell to a low of 38% in 1983.  At the time of his re-election, his rating was back up to 60%.  His overall ratings increased slightly after his re-election, achieving a high of 63% in 1986, but then fell and hovered around 50% for the remainder of his adminstration.  He finished slightly higher at 54%.

BUSH

Bush started out with very high ratings at 70% and in 1991, he increased it to 80%, but then it quickly plummted to a low of
32% at election time.  Although by the time left office, his approval was at 58%.

CLINTON

Clinton started off with 58% approval ratings and it bounced around a bit and he it a low of 41% in late 1994.  However, he gradually recovered and was re-elected with 58%.  The chart stops in 1999 where Clinton enjoyed a high of 61% approval.

[A18]

ABC News had Reagan at 64% approval at the time of his retirement. What was the source on these?

[nini2287]

From pre-1976 it was from "The Stae of the Presidency" by Thomas E. Cronin and post-1976 it was from Gallup.  I used a graph in my government textbook for the data.

[A18]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for taking the time to type all that out, I really appreciate it.

[nini2287]

You're welcome...I found that chart pretty interesting too