In Depth: Topics A to Z
Learn more about public opinion metrics that matter for the 2020 presidential election. Visit Gallup’s 2020 Presidential Election Center to compare key indicators that put the 2020 election in historical context.
Gallup Historical Presidential Job Approval Statistics
Overall averages
| Dates in office | Average approval rating | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Harry Truman | April 1945-January 1953 | 45.4 |
| Dwight Eisenhower | January 1953-January 1961 | 65.0 |
| John Kennedy | January 1961-November 1963 | 70.1 |
| Lyndon Johnson | November 1963-January 1969 | 55.1 |
| Richard Nixon | January 1969-August 1974 | 49.0 |
| Gerald Ford | August 1974-January 1977 | 47.2 |
| Jimmy Carter | January 1977-January 1981 | 45.5 |
| Ronald Reagan | January 1981-January 1989 | 52.8 |
| George H.W. Bush | January 1989-January 1993 | 60.9 |
| Bill Clinton | January 1993-January 2001 | 55.1 |
| George W. Bush | January 2001-January 2009 | 49.4 |
| Barack Obama | January 2009-January 2017 | 47.9 |
| Gallup |
Gallup Historical Presidential Job Approval Statistics
First-term averages
| Dates in office | Average approval rating | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Harry Truman | April 1945-January 1949 | 55.6 |
| Dwight Eisenhower | January 1953-January 1957 | 69.6 |
| John Kennedy | January 1961-November 1963 | 70.1 |
| Lyndon Johnson | November 1963-January 1965 | 74.2 |
| Richard Nixon | January 1969-January 1973 | 55.8 |
| Gerald Ford | August 1974-January 1977 | 47.2 |
| Jimmy Carter | January 1977-January 1981 | 45.5 |
| Ronald Reagan | January 1981-January 1985 | 50.3 |
| George H.W. Bush | January 1989-January 1993 | 60.9 |
| Bill Clinton | January 1993-January 1997 | 49.6 |
| George W. Bush | January 2001-January 2005 | 62.2 |
| Barack Obama | January 2009-January 2013 | 49.1 |
| Gallup |
Gallup Historical Presidential Job Approval Statistics
Second-term averages
| Dates in office | Average approval rating | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Harry Truman | January 1949-January 1953 | 36.5 |
| Dwight Eisenhower | January 1957-January 1961 | 60.5 |
| Lyndon Johnson | January 1965-January 1969 | 50.3 |
| Richard Nixon | January 1973-August 1974 | 34.4 |
| Ronald Reagan | January 1985-January 1989 | 55.3 |
| Bill Clinton | January 1997-January 2001 | 60.6 |
| George W. Bush | January 2005-January 2009 | 36.5 |
| Barack Obama | January 2013-January 2017 | 46.7 |
| Gallup |
Gallup Historical Presidential Job Approval Statistics
High individual measurements
| Dates in office | High approval rating | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Harry Truman | June 1945 | 87 |
| Dwight Eisenhower | December 1956 | 79 |
| John Kennedy | April 1961 | 83 |
| Lyndon Johnson | February 1964 | 79 |
| Richard Nixon | Nov. 1969 and Jan. 1973 | 67 |
| Gerald Ford | August 1974 | 71 |
| Jimmy Carter | March 1977 | 75 |
| Ronald Reagan | May 1981 and May 1986 | 68 |
| George H.W. Bush | February 1991 | 89 |
| Bill Clinton | December 1998 | 73 |
| George W. Bush | September 2001 | 90 |
| Barack Obama | January 2009 | 69 |
| Gallup |
Gallup Historical Presidential Job Approval Statistics
Low individual measurements
| Dates in office | Low approval rating | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Harry Truman | February 1952 | 22 |
| Dwight Eisenhower | March 1958 | 48 |
| John Kennedy | September 1963 | 56 |
| Lyndon Johnson | August 1968 | 35 |
| Richard Nixon | July 1974 and Aug. 1974 | 24 |
| Gerald Ford | Jan. 1975 and March 1975 | 37 |
| Jimmy Carter | June 1979 | 28 |
| Ronald Reagan | January 1983 | 35 |
| George H.W. Bush | July 1992 | 29 |
| Bill Clinton | June 1993 | 37 |
| George W. Bush | October 2008 | 25 |
| Barack Obama | Aug. 2011, Oct. 2011 and Sept. 2014 | 38 |
| Gallup |
Related Topics Include:
Government Politics Presidential Job Approval The Presidency Trends A to Z
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