February 11, 2009 9:26 PM
Poll: We Like Him
As he approaches the end of his first 100 days in office, President George W. Bush gets generally positive reviews — and the public sees him much the same as it did when he first took the presidential oath in January, a new CBS News poll reports.
His 100 Days job approval ratings are positive, though lower than those of some other presidents, and he receives credit for personal qualities such as leadership and trust. However, the public continues to be concerned about his competence in dealing with foreign affairs, they are disapproving of the way he is handling the environment, and they doubt he will be able to accomplish several of his campaign promises, including cutting taxes and strengthening Social Security.
Approval Of The Bush Presidency
Mr. Bush's job approval rating now stands at 56 percent, slightly higher than what he received in early February, shortly after he became President. Twenty-nine percent now disapprove of the job he is doing as president.
George W. Bush's approval rating at this stage of his presidency is higher than his predecessor Bill Clinton's, who faced criticism of his priorities and his behavior even in the early days of his presidency. In May 1993, 49 percent of Americans approved of the job Mr. Clinton was doing as President, while 37 percent disapproved. But Mr. Bush's ratings are lower than those accorded either his father, George H. W. Bush, or Ronald Reagan at the same time in their administrations. In April 1989, 61 percent approved of the job being done by George H.W. Bush. In April 1981 (after the assassination attempt), two-thirds of Americans approved of the job Ronald Reagan was doing as president.
Mr. Bush's approval rating on handling foreign policy is 53 percent, about what it was in March. But his rating on handling the economy has declined to 44 percent in the wake of bad economic news. President Bush receives even lower approval ratings for his handling of the environment.
Most Americans expect Mr. Bush's presidency overall will be average or better than average. Twelve percent expect President Bush to be a very good president, 30 percent think he will be good, and 39 percent expect him to be average. Only 15 percent think he will be a poor president.
President Bush's favorable ratings remain virtually unchanged since January. Forty-one percent of Americans now have a favorable opinion of the president, while 26 percent view him unfavorably.
There are gender differences. More men than women rate Mr. Bush's job performance positively, by 62 percent to 51 percent. Men have a more favorable opinion of George W. Bush than women, and the gap between the two seems to be growing. Now, 47 percent of men have a favorable opinion of Mr. Bush, and 36 percent of women have one. In March, 44 percent of men viewed the president favorably, as did 40 percent of women.
Image: Strengths And Weaknesses
In the public's view, Mr. Bush has a number of strengths; 58 percent believe he is a strong leader, 57 percent say he can be trusted to keep his word, and 51 percent say he cares about their needs and problems. However, fewer think President Bush cares about them now than did in February.
But Americans are skeptical in some other perceptions of him. They are divided in their opinions of his public statements; 48 percent think Mr. Bush mostly says what he believes, but an equal number think he mostly says what people want to hear. This perception has changed little since he became president.
However, most Americans believe Mr. Bush's issue positions are consistent with those he took throughout his campaign; 63 percent think his positions are what they expected. Nevertheless, nearly one in five find his positions more conservative than they thought; 28 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of Independents think he is more conservative. Eight percent overall think Mr. Bush has become more liberal in office.
Americans still are not confident about President Bush's ability to manage foreign affairs. Despite the resolution of the spy plane incident with China, there are still doubts among the public about Mr. Bush's ability to deal with an international crisis. Forty-seven percent have confidence in his ability to deal wisely with an international crisis, but just as many are uneasy about him.
As has been the case since he took office, the public remains unconvinced that Mr. Bush is really in charge of his administration. Forty-three percent say Mr. Bush is in charge of what goes on in his administration most of the time, while half believe other people are really running the government, including a quarter (26 percent) of Republicans.
And Americans feel that this is the way most past administrations have been run. Half think other people were really running the government during most presidents' administrations, while 39 percent feel most presidents were in charge of what wnt on in their administrations. In fact, in 1987 — far into his presidency — only 32 percent thought that Ronald Reagan was really in charge, and 61 percent thought other people were running the government. President George H. W. Bush was perceived as more involved: In 1990, 50 percent thought he was in charge, and 42 percent thought others were running government.
Policies: Expectations
There are specific policy areas in which the current President Bush is expected to be successful. Seventy-three percent expect he will see to it that the U.S. is respected abroad (perhaps a reaction to the successful return of 24 surveillance plane crewmen held in China). The public also expects Mr. Bush to do well in one of his key areas; 52 percent think he will be able to improve education, and 41 percent think he will not be able to. By 51 percent to 42 percent, is expected to maintain a strong economy.
But the public continues to express doubt about how much Mr. Bush will be able to accomplish in specific areas, including several Bush campaign promises. Less than half think Mr. Bush will be able to reduce prescription costs for seniors, cut taxes for all Americans, and strengthen Social Security.
But most people think Mr. Bush will try. Forty-four percent think he will try to keep all or most of his campaign promises, and another 39 percent think he will try to keep some promises. However, the public's expectations for Bush's predecessors were higher on this measure. Early in their presidencies, 55 percent of Americans expected Bill Clinton to try to keep all or most of his promises, and 62 percent expected Ronald Reagan to do so.
Congress
Part of the reason the public is not sure President Bush will be able to fulfill his campaign promises may be the closely divided Congress he must work with. Americans believe the close division between Democrats and Republicans in Congress has led to rancor rather than cooperation. Forty-nine percent think the close party division has given neither party complete control and increased partisanship, while 35 percent think it has forced the parties to work together to get things done.
The perception of division and partisanship may be hurting the public's perception of Congress, as approval of the way Congress in handling its job has fallen since March. Now 44 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, and 37 percent disapprove. Last month, 50 percent approved and 33 percent disapproved.
Nevertheless, expectations are that Democrats in Congress and the president will work together to get things done. Sixty-four percent expect Mr. Bush to compromise with Democrats, and 65 percent believe the Democrats will work with the president.
Mr. Bush's Proposed Budget
Much of the Congressional debate in the next few months will focus on the President's spending priorities. So far, most Americans are not familiar with Mr. Bush's proposed budget; nearly half say tey have not heard much about it. Just 11 percent have heard or read a lot about it.
However, when the spending priorities included in the budget are described to them, most Americans like them. After being told the budget includes a tax cut, increasing spending on education, health and human services, the military and housing and decreasing spending on transportation, agricultural programs and environmental programs, 55 percent approve and 36 percent disapprove.
Vice President Cheney And Secretary Of State Powell
Evaluations of Vice President Dick Cheney's job performance are clearly positive. Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the job he is doing as Vice President and only 16 percent disapprove. However, 29 percent are unable to rate the vice president's job performance. In February, 52 percent approved while 11 percent disapproved.
Some have said that Cheney's role in the current administration is greater than that of other vice presidents. However, when asked directly about Cheney's role in George W. Bush's administration, 45 percent feel his role is about the same as other vice presidents, 37 percent say his role is more important, and 12 percent say it less important than other vice presidents.
The public also views Secretary of State Colin Powell favorably. Nearly six in ten Americans have a favorable opinion of Powell and only 5 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him. Powell has consistently received similar high ratings over the past five years.
There are differences according to race, however. More whites than blacks view Powell favorably — 63 percent of whites have a favorable view of him, while just 40 percent of blacks view him favorably. There are party differences, too, with more Republicans than Democrats rating Powell favorably.
This poll was conducted among a nationwide sample of 921 adults, interviewed by telephone April 23-25, 2001. The error due to sampling could be plus or minus three percentage points for results based on the entire sample.
His 100 Days job approval ratings are positive, though lower than those of some other presidents, and he receives credit for personal qualities such as leadership and trust. However, the public continues to be concerned about his competence in dealing with foreign affairs, they are disapproving of the way he is handling the environment, and they doubt he will be able to accomplish several of his campaign promises, including cutting taxes and strengthening Social Security.
Approval Of The Bush Presidency
Mr. Bush's job approval rating now stands at 56 percent, slightly higher than what he received in early February, shortly after he became President. Twenty-nine percent now disapprove of the job he is doing as president.
 | ||||
| Presidential Job Approval | ||||
| George W. Bush (now) | Bill Clinton (5/93) | George Bush (4/89) | Ronald Reagan (4/81) | |
| Approve | 56% | 49% | 61% | 67% |
| George W. Bush (now) | Bill Clinton (5/93) | George Bush (4/89) | Ronald Reagan (4/81) | |
| Disapprove | 29% | 37% | 19% | 18% |
 | ||||
George W. Bush's approval rating at this stage of his presidency is higher than his predecessor Bill Clinton's, who faced criticism of his priorities and his behavior even in the early days of his presidency. In May 1993, 49 percent of Americans approved of the job Mr. Clinton was doing as President, while 37 percent disapproved. But Mr. Bush's ratings are lower than those accorded either his father, George H. W. Bush, or Ronald Reagan at the same time in their administrations. In April 1989, 61 percent approved of the job being done by George H.W. Bush. In April 1981 (after the assassination attempt), two-thirds of Americans approved of the job Ronald Reagan was doing as president.
Mr. Bush's approval rating on handling foreign policy is 53 percent, about what it was in March. But his rating on handling the economy has declined to 44 percent in the wake of bad economic news. President Bush receives even lower approval ratings for his handling of the environment.
| |||
| Specific Evaluations | |||
| Foreign Policy | The Economy | The Environment | |
| Approve | 53% | 44% | 38% |
| Foreign Policy | The Economy | The Environment | |
| Disapprove | 31% | 39% | 39% |
| |||
Most Americans expect Mr. Bush's presidency overall will be average or better than average. Twelve percent expect President Bush to be a very good president, 30 percent think he will be good, and 39 percent expect him to be average. Only 15 percent think he will be a poor president.
President Bush's favorable ratings remain virtually unchanged since January. Forty-one percent of Americans now have a favorable opinion of the president, while 26 percent view him unfavorably.
There are gender differences. More men than women rate Mr. Bush's job performance positively, by 62 percent to 51 percent. Men have a more favorable opinion of George W. Bush than women, and the gap between the two seems to be growing. Now, 47 percent of men have a favorable opinion of Mr. Bush, and 36 percent of women have one. In March, 44 percent of men viewed the president favorably, as did 40 percent of women.
Image: Strengths And Weaknesses
In the public's view, Mr. Bush has a number of strengths; 58 percent believe he is a strong leader, 57 percent say he can be trusted to keep his word, and 51 percent say he cares about their needs and problems. However, fewer think President Bush cares about them now than did in February.
But Americans are skeptical in some other perceptions of him. They are divided in their opinions of his public statements; 48 percent think Mr. Bush mostly says what he believes, but an equal number think he mostly says what people want to hear. This perception has changed little since he became president.
However, most Americans believe Mr. Bush's issue positions are consistent with those he took throughout his campaign; 63 percent think his positions are what they expected. Nevertheless, nearly one in five find his positions more conservative than they thought; 28 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of Independents think he is more conservative. Eight percent overall think Mr. Bush has become more liberal in office.
Americans still are not confident about President Bush's ability to manage foreign affairs. Despite the resolution of the spy plane incident with China, there are still doubts among the public about Mr. Bush's ability to deal with an international crisis. Forty-seven percent have confidence in his ability to deal wisely with an international crisis, but just as many are uneasy about him.
As has been the case since he took office, the public remains unconvinced that Mr. Bush is really in charge of his administration. Forty-three percent say Mr. Bush is in charge of what goes on in his administration most of the time, while half believe other people are really running the government, including a quarter (26 percent) of Republicans.
And Americans feel that this is the way most past administrations have been run. Half think other people were really running the government during most presidents' administrations, while 39 percent feel most presidents were in charge of what wnt on in their administrations. In fact, in 1987 — far into his presidency — only 32 percent thought that Ronald Reagan was really in charge, and 61 percent thought other people were running the government. President George H. W. Bush was perceived as more involved: In 1990, 50 percent thought he was in charge, and 42 percent thought others were running government.
Policies: Expectations
There are specific policy areas in which the current President Bush is expected to be successful. Seventy-three percent expect he will see to it that the U.S. is respected abroad (perhaps a reaction to the successful return of 24 surveillance plane crewmen held in China). The public also expects Mr. Bush to do well in one of his key areas; 52 percent think he will be able to improve education, and 41 percent think he will not be able to. By 51 percent to 42 percent, is expected to maintain a strong economy.
But the public continues to express doubt about how much Mr. Bush will be able to accomplish in specific areas, including several Bush campaign promises. Less than half think Mr. Bush will be able to reduce prescription costs for seniors, cut taxes for all Americans, and strengthen Social Security.
But most people think Mr. Bush will try. Forty-four percent think he will try to keep all or most of his campaign promises, and another 39 percent think he will try to keep some promises. However, the public's expectations for Bush's predecessors were higher on this measure. Early in their presidencies, 55 percent of Americans expected Bill Clinton to try to keep all or most of his promises, and 62 percent expected Ronald Reagan to do so.
Congress
Part of the reason the public is not sure President Bush will be able to fulfill his campaign promises may be the closely divided Congress he must work with. Americans believe the close division between Democrats and Republicans in Congress has led to rancor rather than cooperation. Forty-nine percent think the close party division has given neither party complete control and increased partisanship, while 35 percent think it has forced the parties to work together to get things done.
The perception of division and partisanship may be hurting the public's perception of Congress, as approval of the way Congress in handling its job has fallen since March. Now 44 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, and 37 percent disapprove. Last month, 50 percent approved and 33 percent disapproved.
Nevertheless, expectations are that Democrats in Congress and the president will work together to get things done. Sixty-four percent expect Mr. Bush to compromise with Democrats, and 65 percent believe the Democrats will work with the president.
Mr. Bush's Proposed Budget
Much of the Congressional debate in the next few months will focus on the President's spending priorities. So far, most Americans are not familiar with Mr. Bush's proposed budget; nearly half say tey have not heard much about it. Just 11 percent have heard or read a lot about it.
However, when the spending priorities included in the budget are described to them, most Americans like them. After being told the budget includes a tax cut, increasing spending on education, health and human services, the military and housing and decreasing spending on transportation, agricultural programs and environmental programs, 55 percent approve and 36 percent disapprove.
Vice President Cheney And Secretary Of State Powell
Evaluations of Vice President Dick Cheney's job performance are clearly positive. Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the job he is doing as Vice President and only 16 percent disapprove. However, 29 percent are unable to rate the vice president's job performance. In February, 52 percent approved while 11 percent disapproved.
Some have said that Cheney's role in the current administration is greater than that of other vice presidents. However, when asked directly about Cheney's role in George W. Bush's administration, 45 percent feel his role is about the same as other vice presidents, 37 percent say his role is more important, and 12 percent say it less important than other vice presidents.
The public also views Secretary of State Colin Powell favorably. Nearly six in ten Americans have a favorable opinion of Powell and only 5 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him. Powell has consistently received similar high ratings over the past five years.
There are differences according to race, however. More whites than blacks view Powell favorably — 63 percent of whites have a favorable view of him, while just 40 percent of blacks view him favorably. There are party differences, too, with more Republicans than Democrats rating Powell favorably.
This poll was conducted among a nationwide sample of 921 adults, interviewed by telephone April 23-25, 2001. The error due to sampling could be plus or minus three percentage points for results based on the entire sample.
For detailed information on how CBS News conducts public opinion surveys, click here.
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