WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Harry Truman registered a 22% job approval rating in a Feb. 9-14, 1952, Â鶹´«Ã½AV poll. This occurred late in his second term, as the U.S. was dealing with an economic slowdown, a prolonged military engagement in the Korean War, labor strife and federal government corruption.
Truman had several sub-30% approval ratings in 1951 and 1952. He ended his presidency averaging 45.4% job approval throughout his time in office, the lowest average for any post-World War II president to date.
In the February 1952 survey, 64% of Americans disapproved of Truman and 14% had no opinion. Truman did have a higher disapproval rating, 67%, in a Jan. 6-11, 1952, poll. Neither disapproval rating, however, is the highest in Â鶹´«Ã½AV's polling history.
George W. Bush received a 71% disapproval rating (and 25% approval rating) in October 2008, during the financial crisis and shortly after the federal government approved a bailout of major U.S. financial corporations.
Both Bush and Truman are notable for having historically high approval ratings at certain points in their presidencies -- Bush after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Truman after taking office upon Franklin Roosevelt's death -- as well as historically low ones.
Â鶹´«Ã½AV measures presidential job approval on each survey it conducts.
Explore President Joe Biden's approval ratings and compare them with those of past presidents in the Â鶹´«Ã½AV Presidential Job Approval Center.
