President Joe Biden‘s job approval rating is 39%, a modest uptick from the 37% low points in October and November, but it is the fifth time in 2023 that his numbers fell below 40%. Gee, I wonder why.
The war between Israel and Hamas resumed after a late November pause in fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Biden at the White House to ask for US assistance in his country’s war with Russia, and House Republicans unanimously voted to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden.
While rank-and-file Republicans have consistently rated Biden in the single digits since August 2021, independents’ assessments have been more volatile. After falling to a historic low of 27% in November, Biden’s support is up seven percentage points this month. Democrats currently approve of Biden at 78%, a decrease from last month’s 83%. How in the world…
Biden’S Current Approval Rating Is Lower Than That Of Other Modern Presidents At The Same Point
When comparing the approval ratings of the previous seven presidents at the same stage in their first term, Biden’s current 39% is the lowest. Barack Obama (43%) and Donald Trump (45%) had somewhat higher ratings going into the year they ran for reelection, but everyone else was above 50%.
Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush had 51% job approval ratings, while Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter had 54%. George W. Bush earned the greatest approval rating of the eight presidents (58%), thanks to the arrest of Saddam Hussein in mid-December 2003.
Economic Confidence Has Improved Slightly, but Is Still Negative
While still dismal, Americans’ confidence in the economy increased in December.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELGallup examines Americans’ judgments of national economic conditions as outstanding, good, only fair, or terrible, as well as their views on whether the economy is improving or deteriorating. The aggregated responses are used to calculate the Gallup Economic Confidence Index (ECI), which has a theoretical range of +100 (if all respondents say the economy is outstanding or good and improving) to -100 (if all say the economy is terrible and worsening).
This month, over four in five U.S. adults view the country’s present economic conditions as just fair (33%) or poor (45%), with only a handful characterizing conditions as great (3%) or good (19%). Furthermore, 68% of Americans believe the economy is deteriorating, 28% believe it is improving, and 4% believe it is stable.
The ensuing -32 Economic Confidence Index ranking is an increase above last month’s -40 and considerably above the Great Recession trough of -72 in October 2008. Since July 2021, the ECI has been in negative territory. This month, gas prices fell, the stock market approached new highs, unemployment remained low, and inflation slowed.
Although Americans’ perceptions of the economy have improved slightly, when asked to name the most pressing issue confronting the country, mentions of the economy in general (14%) and inflation specifically (12%) remain high. The government and immigration are both major issues for 16% of Americans. Immigration is the most often mentioned topic among Republicans, with 37% mentioning it, far more than any other issue.
In conclusion
Biden enters 2024 with the lowest job approval rating of any modern-day president facing a difficult reelection battle. While the economy is showing signs of progress and Americans are feeling a little more positive about it, it remains a major concern. In addition to monitoring the United States’ role in battles in Ukraine and the Middle East, Biden is dealing with a crisis at the country’s southern border. Given Republicans’ concerns about immigration, Biden may expect immigration to be a major focus in the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign in 2024.
