GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite President George W. Bush's major address to the country last week, his popularity has sunk to the lowest level of his presidency. According to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey, only 40% of Americans approve of his overall job performance, which tied with one previous reading in August as the lowest score he has received since taking office in 2001. His disapproval reading of 58% is two points higher than the previous record measured last month.

On several other measures, Bush also fares worse than at any time in his presidency. His approval for handling the economy is at 35%, for foreign affairs 38%, and for Iraq 32%. His Iraq rating is eight points lower than his previous low of 40%, which he maintained from May through early September.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

Forty-one percent of Americans approve of the president's handling of the response to Hurricane Katrina, while 57% disapprove -- down slightly from the 43% to 54% rating Bush received for Katrina in early September.

Bush's image among Americans has suffered not only in the way he has handled his job, but in his personal characteristics as well. Perhaps the most positive image of the president has been that of a strong and decisive leader, a trait that was used to contrast Bush with Democratic Sen. John Kerry during the recent presidential election. Even as late as the end of August, a week after Hurricane Katrina hit, Americans viewed the president as a strong leader by a 60% to 40% margin. The latest results show a divided public -- with a slight majority, 51%, saying that trait does not apply to Bush, and 49% saying it does.

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]?

Similarly, Americans are now considerably less likely to think of Bush as being honest and trustworthy than they did during most of his presidency and even earlier this year. As late as July, a clear majority, 54%, thought of Bush that way, with 44% expressing disagreement. Today, Americans lean in the opposite direction -- 50% say he is not honest and trustworthy; 47% say he is.

On whether he "cares about the needs of people like you," a decisive majority says Bush does not -- by 56% to 42%. This view is reinforced by a separate question, asked later in the survey, about whether Bush had taken steps to help victims of Hurricane Katrina because of his sincere concern about the victims or because of political reasons. Americans choose political reasons by 56% to 42%.

Just your best guess, do you think George W. Bush has taken steps to help victims of Hurricane Katrina -- [ROTATED: mostly because he sincerely cares about the victims, (or) mostly for political reasons]?

Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Overwhelmingly, the public believes that Hurricane Katrina will require the average American to make sacrifices in the form of higher taxes or cuts in government benefits.

In order for the federal government to handle the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina, do you think the average American will have to make major sacrifices in the form of higher taxes or cuts in government programs that benefit them, minor sacrifices, or no sacrifices at all?

And the vast majority of Americans, 84%, say they are willing to do that -- although only 20% of Americans are willing to make "major" sacrifices while 64% say they would be willing to make "minor" sacrifices.

Would you, personally, be willing to make major sacrifices, minor sacrifices or no sacrifices at all in your taxes or government benefits to allow the government to spend money to address the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina?

Still, a clear majority of Americans, 54%, want the federal government to pay for the costs of Hurricane Katrina by cutting spending for the war in Iraq, while only 17% want taxes raised, 15% prefer an increase in the federal budget deficit, and 6% opt for cuts in domestic programs.

If you had to choose, which of the following would you say would be the best way for the government to pay for the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina -- [ROTATED: increase the federal budget deficit, raise taxes, cut spending for the war in Iraq, (or) cut spending for domestic programs such as education and health care]?

Also, Americans are more worried that the government will spend too much on the problems caused by Katrina and ignore other problems facing the country, than they are worried that the government will spend too little to help the victims of Katrina.

Thinking about the money the federal government plans to spend on the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina, which worries you more -- [ROTATED: that the federal government will spend TOO MUCH on these problems and ignore other problems the country faces, (or) that the federal government will spend TOO LITTLE on these problems and not adequately fix the problems caused by the hurricane]?

As for government efforts to address the problems, most Americans express limited optimism. By 45% to 27%, Americans approve of the proposals Bush outlined in his address to the nation last week, though 28% volunteered no opinion.

Based on what you have heard or read, do you approve or disapprove of the proposals George W. Bush outlined in his speech on Thursday night to handle the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and other areas of the Gulf Coast?

And when asked how much confidence they had in the Bush administration to respond to the current problems caused by Katrina, as well as future natural disasters and terrorist attacks, most Americans are guardedly optimistic. From 24% to 29% express a "great deal" of confidence, while from 30% to 40% have little or no confidence. Another 30% to 40% have a "moderate" amount of confidence.

How much confidence do you have in the Bush administration's ability to do each of the following -- a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or none at all? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

Despite their relatively sanguine view on these issues, the vast majority of Americans want an independent panel, not Congress, to investigate the government's slow response to Hurricane Katrina.

As you may know, some people have called for an investigation into the problems the government had in responding to Hurricane Katrina. Who would you rather see conduct this investigation -- [ROTATED: an independent panel (or) Congress]?

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 818 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Sep. 16-18, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 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?

Bush Issue Approval Trends

A. The economy

B. Foreign affairs

C. The situation in Iraq

D. The response to Hurricane Katrina

3. 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]?

Full Trends: Bush Qualities and Characteristics

A. Is honest and trustworthy

B. Is a strong and decisive leader

C. Cares about the needs of people like you

4. Based on what you have heard or read, do you approve or disapprove of the proposals George W. Bush outlined in his speech on Thursday night to handle the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and other areas of the Gulf Coast?

5. How much confidence do you have in the Bush administration's ability to do each of the following -- a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or none at all? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

6. Thinking about the money the federal government plans to spend on the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina, which worries you more -- [ROTATED: that the federal government will spend TOO MUCH on these problems and ignore other problems the country faces, (or) that the federal government will spend TOO LITTLE on these problems and not adequately fix the problems caused by the hurricane]?

7. In order for the federal government to handle the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina, do you think the average American will have to make major sacrifices in the form of higher taxes or cuts in government programs that benefit them, minor sacrifices, or no sacrifices at all?

8. Would you, personally, be willing to make major sacrifices, minor sacrifices or no sacrifices at all in your taxes or government benefits to allow the government to spend money to address the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina?

9. If you had to choose, which of the following would you say would be the best way for the government to pay for the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina -- [ROTATED: increase the federal budget deficit, raise taxes, cut spending for the war in Iraq, (or) cut spending for domestic programs such as education and health care]?

10. As you may know, some people have called for an investigation into the problems the government had in responding to Hurricane Katrina. Who would you rather see conduct this investigation -- [ROTATED: an independent panel (or) Congress]?

11. Just your best guess, do you think George W. Bush has taken steps to help victims of Hurricane Katrina -- [ROTATED: mostly because he sincerely cares about the victims, (or) mostly for political reasons]?