Bob McCarty Writes

Results of a new Sacred Heart University poll released today show that, while President George W. Bush has the lowest positive job approval rating recorded, most of his policies and initiatives, over the years, were viewed favorably by moderate to strong majorities of those surveyed.

The FHU poll found the president’s job approval rating declined over the years to 28.1 percent from a high point of 77.9 percent in April, 2003.

“On the other hand,” according to Jerry C. Lindsley, director of the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute in Fairfield, Conn., “the President enjoys majority support on nine of twelve policies or initiatives we measured.”

Among Americans surveyed with an opinion, 78.1 percent strongly or somewhat supported the President’s policy of cutting taxes. Support for Bush Administration policies ranged from 78.1 to 42.1 percent.  Below is a list of policies that garnered support of at least 50 percent of respondents:

• Cutting taxes – 78.1%
• Suggesting marriage can only be between a man and a woman – 66.8%
• Bush’s decision to attend the Beijing Olympics – 66.0%
• Ensuring the right of Americans to own guns – 65.5%
• Calling for a Palestinian State – 64.7%
• Enhancing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – 59.5%
• The Kennedy-Bush No Child Left Behind Education Act – 56.7%
• Allowing faith-based programs to receive tax dollars – 52.7%
• President Bush’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court – 52.1%

“The most recent poll continues to document that the United States is still a moderately conservative nation,” said Gary Rose, Ph.D., professor and chair of Sacred Heart University’s Department of Government and Politics.  “The antipathy exhibited by the American people towards President Bush appears to center more on the president’s style rather than his policies.

“At the same time, it is not at all unusual for citizens to express dissatisfaction with a two-term president approaching the end of his presidency. The results regarding policy perspectives also have interesting and important consequence for the 2008 presidential election. The polling results explain why the current race is so competitive.”

For more poll details, see this FHU news release.