Reagan’s First Term: 50% Average in Polls
President Reagan ended his first term with an average approval rating of 50% for his four years in office, the Gallup Poll reported Sunday.
The rating was similar to the ratings achieved by predecessors Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford, Richard M. Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry S. Truman during comparable periods of their presidencies. Reagan’s average rating, however, is substantially lower than those given John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Reagan begins his second term with the approval of about 6 in 10 Americans. In the three Gallup surveys conducted since his reelection, 61% of the public approved of his handling of his presidential duties, 31% disapproved and 8% withheld judgment.
Reagan’s high point of 68% approval was recorded in May, 1981, soon after he took office. His low point of 35% approval occurred in January, 1983.
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