Gallup poll: Bush 36%

PRINCETON, NJ -- Only 36% of Americans approve of the job George W. Bush is doing as president, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll. That is the lowest rating recorded by Gallup during Bush's presidency, though only by one percentage point. In a Nov. 11-13, 2005 poll, 37% approved of the president's performance.

The decline in Bush's rating over the past year has occurred mostly among independents, with a substantial decline also found among Republicans. Democrats show little change.

A year ago, 46% of independents approved of Bush's performance; today, just 23% approve -- a decline of 23 points. The decline among Republicans is 16 points, from 91% to 75%, while Democrats are only a little more negative today (13% approval) than they were a year ago (16% approval).

Bush disapproval is at 60%, tied for the highest Gallup has measured for him. The two previous disapproval ratings at that level were found in a Feb. 28-Mar. 1, 2006 poll, and a Nov. 11-13, 2005 poll. The latter poll also measured Bush's approval rating at 37%, the lowest to that date.

Bush's current 75% approval rating among Republicans is the lowest Gallup has measured for him. His previous low among Republicans was 79% in a Feb. 9-12, 2005 poll.

His 23% approval rating among independents is also the lowest Gallup has measured. The previous low was 26% in a Nov. 17-20, 2005 poll.

The 13% approval rating among Democrats is the average rating for the past year, which has fluctuated from a low of 7% to a high of 24%.

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,001 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Mar. 10-12, 2006. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum 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.

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

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2006
2006 Mar 10-12	36	60	4
2006 Feb 28-Mar 1	38	60	2
2006 Feb 9-12	39	56	4
2006 Feb 6-9	42	55	4
2006 Jan 20-22	43	54	4
2006 Jan 9-12	43	53	4
2006 Jan 6-8	43	54	3
2005
2005 Dec 19-22	43	53	4
2005 Dec 16-18	41	56	3
2005 Dec 9-11	42	55	3
2005 Dec 5-8	43	52	5
2005 Nov 17-20	38	57	5
2005 Nov 11-13	37	60	3
2005 Nov 7-10	40	55	5
2005 Oct 28-30	41	56	3
2005 Oct 24-26	41	56	3
2005 Oct 21-23	42	55	3
2005 Oct 13-16	39	58	3
2005 Sep 26-28	45	50	5
2005 Sep 16-18	40	58	2
2005 Sep 12-15	45	52	3
2005 Sep 8-11	46	51	3
2005 Aug 28-30	45	52	3
2005 Aug 22-25	40	56	4
2005 Aug 8-11	45	51	4
2005 Aug 5-7	45	51	4
2005 Jul 25-28	44	51	5
2005 Jul 22-24	49	48	3
2005 Jul 7-10	49	48	3
2005 Jun 29-30	46	51	3
2005 Jun 24-26	45	53	2
2005 Jun 16-19	47	51	2
2005 Jun 6-8	47	49	4
2005 May 23-26	48	47	5
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