Polarization and presidential approval: supporters stay loyal, opposition intensifies % approving of president's job performance, by party EISENHOWER KENNEDY CARTER REAGA N JOHNSON
Views of the president among members of the opposing party have steadily become more negative over time. Our 2014 report on political polarization documented this dramatic growth in partisan divisions over views of presidential job performance. Over the course of Obama’s presidency, his average approval rating among Democrats has been 80%, compared with just 14% among Republicans.
During Eisenhower’s two terms, from 1953 to 1960, an average of 49% of Democrats said they approved of the job the Republican president was doing in office. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency, an average of 31% of Democrats approved of his job performance. And just over a quarter (27%) of Republicans offered a positive assessment of Clinton between 1993 and 2000. But the two most recent presidents – George W. Bush and Obama – have not received even this minimal level of support.
Obama’s 46% job approval in December placed him between George W. Bush (30%) and Bill Clinton (55%) at similar points in their second terms in late 2007 and 1999, respectively. It was also comparable to Reagan’s rating of 49% in December 1987.
Polarization and presidential approval: supporters stay loyal, opposition intensifies  | % approving of president's job performance, by party  | EISENHOWER KENNEDY  | NIXON  | CARTER REAGA N  | CLINTON  | GW BUSH  | GHW  | OBAMA  | JOHNSON  | FORD  | BUSH  | approval Average  | approval Average  | party: among own  | Imo  | 70  | 75  | party: among 88  | 84  | 67 57  | 83  | 82  | 80  | 81  | 80  | Republicans  | .75  | Democrats  | 50  | 25  | Average  | approval  | among 49 other  | among party: 49  | 49  | 40  | 34  | 36 30  | 31  | 44  | 27  | 23  | 14  | 0  | 1953  | 1970  | 1980  | 2000  | 2010  | 2015  | 1960  | 1990  | Source: 2014 Political Polarization in the American Public  | Note: Data from Eisenhower through George HW Bush from Gallup Because some earlier data did not include partisan  | leaning Re publicans and De mocrats George in this graphic do not include leaners Obama is rating is as of Dec 13, 2015.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 