Bush Approval Steady at 37% (Gallup)

http://poll.gallup.com/content/?ci=23494

Bush Approval Steady at 37%
Bush's approval at current level throughout June, higher than ratings in May

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- President George W. Bush's job approval rating is holding steady at 37%, showing very little change across three separate Gallup Polls conducted in June, 2006. Bush began the month at 36%, was at 38% in a June 9-11 poll, and is now at 37% in a new USA Today/Gallup Poll, conducted June 23-25, 2006.

From a slightly broader perspective, the trends show that Bush's ratings so far this year can be divided into four segments: 1) He began the year with job approval ratings in the low 40% range, 2) Bush fell to the 36%-39% range throughout much of February, March, and April, 3) He slipped to 31% in early May (his administration low point), and 4) Bush recovered to previous levels as this month began.



Bush's ratings continue to be highly divisive along partisan lines. Eighty-one percent of Republicans say they approve of Bush, while 32% of independents, and only 10% of Democrats share that point of view.




The modest recovery in Bush's overall rating reflects a recovery primarily among Republicans. At the beginning of May, 2006, when Bush's approval rating was at its low point, 68% of Republicans said they approved of Bush. Now, this percentage has increased to 81% in the current survey. Democrats' ratings of Bush have not shown nearly as much fluctuation since the beginning of May, but there has been some improvement in views of Bush, with ratings among Democrats at 4% in early May to 10% currently. Among independents, views of Bush improved modestly as well, up from 26% in early May to 32% in the latest poll.