Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

1. According to the chart above, what modern president had the highest approval rating at the beginning of their presidency?

2. According to the chart above, what modern president had the lowest approval rating at the beginning of their presidency?

3. At 47%, President Donald Trump's initial job approval rating for his second term is similar to the inaugural 45% reading during his first term, again placing him below all other elected presidents dating back to 1953. Trump remains the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings, and his latest disapproval rating (48%) is three percentage points higher than in 2017, marking a new high for inaugural ratings. Why do you think President Trump came to office with such low approval ratings?

4. I was surprised by how low Richard Nixon’s disapproval ratings were (remember, he went on the resign from office in shame) at the start of his term. What most surprised you about the data from the visual above?

5. There once was a thing called a presidential honeymoon (it's one of our GoPo Pro vocab terms), where presidents were basically supported for their first 100 days-or so in office. President Trump basically had no honeymoon the first time he was elected. Would you consider the current Trump presidency to be on a honeymoon where they have widespread support from the people, the Congress, and the media?

6. Gallup has also found that presidential honeymoon periods are getting shorter and shorter. By the last few decades of the 20th century, the typical honeymoon period had shrunk to seven months, down from an average of 26 months earlier in American history. Explain how this will impact the ability of presidents to advance their agenda and create policy.

7. As shown in the visual below,* as was the case during his first term, Trump’s current job rating is sharply polarized, with 91% of Republicans approving, compared with just 6% of Democrats and 46% of independents. This 85-point gap between Republicans and Democrats is similar to the average 81-point gap throughout his first term. It is also close to Biden’s 87-point gap at the beginning of his term in 2021. Why do you think Trump’s popularity is so polarized (different for members of different parties)?

8. Trump began his second presidential term by signing a record number of executive actions targeting a wide range of policy areas, including immigration, defense and the military, foreign policy, the environment, and government efficiency. The poll was completed before the Trump administration initiated a pause on trillions of dollars of grants, loans and other federal financial assistance, which was later temporarily blocked by a federal judge and then rescinded by Trump.Based on the visual below*, how do Americans feel about the speed at which Trump is moving?

9. One would assume that a very popular president would be able to move their agenda forward forcefully with little opposition and that a very unpopular president would have to slowly and carefully advance their agenda. Would you say that President Trump is acting more like a strong and highly popular president or a weak and highly unpopular president?

10. About half of the people reading this will support President Trump and about half will oppose President Trump. Whether you support or oppose the president, how much do you think he will accomplish in his second term?

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

Contact President Donald J, Trump or tweet him at @realDonaldTrump and suggest one thing he could do to improve his net approval rating.

Learn More

Read the FiveThirtyEight article: Is the Presidential Honeymoon Over?

Get Creative

If President Trump were a Star Wars character, which one would he be? Here are a couple of characters to choose from: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jabba the Hutt, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Padme, Darth Maul, Chewbacca, General Grievous, Griedo, Boba Fett, Admiral Ackbar, Mos Eisley.