Opinion polling on the Ronald Reagan administration

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Since 1981, there has been opinion polling on the Ronald Reagan administration to gather and analyze public opinion on the performance and policies of the Ronald Reagan administration.

After becoming president on January 20, 1981,^[1] Reagan survived an assassination attempt. CBS News launched their opinion polls with their first one showing 67% of Americans approving the president's job performance.^[2] Similarly, an ABC News poll showed Reagan's highest approval rating at 73%.^[3] His ratings by CBS remained above 50% until the United States experienced a recession and high unemployment in 1982.^[2] According to a Gallup poll, his lowest rating was 35% in early 1983.^[4][5] Headed into the 1984 presidential election, Reagan's ratings by CBS recovered, reaching 58% and higher throughout the next two years.^[2] However, in January 1987, Gallup revealed that his rating dropped to 49% as a result of the Iran–Contra affair. By December 1988, the near end of his presidency, Reagan's rating recovered again at 63%.^[4][6] Retrospective polls showed that a majority of Americans continued to approve of the Reagan presidency in the years and decades that followed it.^[3][4]

Retrospective approval ratings

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	February 5–11, 2018	72%	24%	4%	—	—	[7][8]
		November 19–21, 2010	74%	24%	2%			[9][10][11]
		June 1–4, 2006	71%	27%	2%			[9][12]
		March 18–20, 2002	73%	22%	5%			[9]
ABC News/The Washington Post	All adults	July 26–30, 2001	66%	27%	7%	1,352	telephone	[13][3]
	—	February 27, 2000	64%	26%	10%	—	—	[13][14]
Gallup	—	February 14–15, 2000	66%	32%	2%	—	—	[9]
		February 8–9, 1999	71%	27%	2%
		November 15–16, 1993	52%	45%	3%
		June 4–8, 1992	50%	47%	3%
		November 8–11, 1990	54%	44%	2%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

Presidential approval ratings

Gallup approval ratings during the Reagan presidency

  disapprove

  unsure

  approve

January 1989

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
CBS News/The New York Times	—	January 12–15, 1989	68%	26%	6%	—	—	[15][16]

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1988

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 27–29, 1988	63%	29%	8%	—	—	[17][4]
		November 11–14, 1988	57%	35%	8%
		October 21–24, 1988	51%	38%	11%			[17]
		September 25–October 1, 1988	54%	37%	9%
		August 19–22, 1988	53%	37%	10%
		July 15–18, 1988	54%	36%	10%
		July 1–7, 1988	51%	35%	14%
		June 24–27, 1988	48%	40%	12%
		June 10–13, 1988	51%	39%	10%
		May 13–22, 1988	48%	43%	9%
CBS News/The New York Times	All adults	May 9–12, 1988	48%	39%	13%	1,382	telephone	[18]
Gallup	—	May 2–8, 1988	50%	38%	12%	—	—	[17][4]
		April 8–11, 1988	50%	39%	11%
		March 8–12, 1988	51%	37%	12%
		March 4–6, 1988	50%	42%	8%
		January 22–25, 1988	49%	40%	11%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1987

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 4–7, 1987	49%	41%	10%	—	—	[17][6]
		October 23–26, 1987	51%	41%	8%			[17]
		August 24–September 2, 1987	49%	42%	9%
		August 7–10, 1987	45%	41%	14%
		July 10–13, 1987	49%	43%	8%
		June 8–14, 1987	53%	40%	7%
		June 5–8, 1987	47%	44%	9%
		April 10–13, 1987	48%	43%	9%
		March 14–18, 1987	47%	44%	9%
		March 6–9, 1987	43%	46%	11%
ABC News/The Washington Post	—	March 5–9, 1987	47%	52%	1%	—	—	[19]
CBS News/The New York Times	—	February 28–March 1, 1987	42%	46%	12%	—	—	[20]
Gallup	—	January 16–19, 1987	48%	43%	9%	—	—	[17]

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1986

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 5–8, 1986	48%	43%	9%	—	—	[17]
		December 4–5, 1986	47%	44%	9%
		October 24–27, 1986	63%	29%	9%
		September 13–17, 1986	63%	26%	11%
		September 12–15, 1986	61%	25%	14%
		August 8–11, 1986	61%	27%	12%
		July 11–14, 1986	63%	28%	9%
		June 9–16, 1986	64%	26%	10%
		June 6–9, 1986	61%	29%	10%
		May 16–19, 1986	68%	23%	9%
		April 11–14, 1986	62%	29%	9%
		March 4–10, 1986	63%	26%	11%
		January 10–13, 1986	64%	27%	9%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1985

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 6–9, 1985	63%	29%	8%	—	—	[17]
		November 11–18, 1985	65%	24%	11%
		November 1–4, 1985	62%	28%	10%
		October 11–14, 1985	63%	29%	8%
		September 13–16, 1985	60%	30%	10%
		August 16–19, 1985	57%	32%	11%
		August 13–15, 1985	65%	26%	9%
Newsweek	All adults	July 17–18, 1985	68%	—	—	753	telephone	[21]
Gallup	—	July 12–15, 1985	63%	28%	9%	—	—	[17]
		June 7–10, 1985	58%	32%	10%
		May 17–20, 1985	55%	37%	8%
		April 12–15, 1985	52%	37%	11%
		March 8–11, 1985	56%	37%	7%
		February 15–18, 1985	60%	31%	9%
		January 25–28, 1985	64%	28%	8%
ABC News/The Washington Post	—	January 11–16, 1985	68%	28%	4%	—	—	[22]
Gallup	—	January 11–14, 1985	62%	29%	9%	—	—	[17]

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1984

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 7–10, 1984	59%	32%	9%	—	—	[17]
		November 30–December 3, 1984	62%	30%	8%
		November 9–12, 1984	61%	31%	8%
		October 26–29, 1984	58%	33%	9%
		September 28–October 1, 1984	54%	35%	11%
		September 21–24, 1984	57%	36%	7%
		September 7–10, 1984	57%	36%	7%
		August 10–13, 1984	54%	38%	8%
		July 27–30, 1984	52%	37%	11%
		July 13–16, 1984	55%	35%	10%
		July 6–9, 1984	54%	35%	11%
		June 29–July 2, 1984	53%	37%	10%
		June 22–25, 1984	54%	36%	10%
		June 6–8, 1984	55%	33%	12%
		May 18–21, 1984	54%	38%	8%
		May 3–5, 1984	52%	37%	11%
		April 6–9, 1984	54%	36%	10%
		March 16–19, 1984	54%	39%	7%
		February 10–13, 1984	55%	36%	9%
		January 27–30, 1984	55%	37%	8%
		January 13–16, 1984	52%	38%	10%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1983

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 9–12, 1983	54%	38%	8%	—	—	[17]
		November 18–21, 1983	53%	37%	10%
		October 21–24, 1983	49%	41%	10%
		October 7–10, 1983	45%	44%	11%
		September 16–19, 1983	47%	43%	10%
		September 9–12, 1983	47%	42%	11%
		August 19–22, 1983	43%	46%	11%
		August 12–15, 1983	43%	45%	12%
		August 5–8, 1983	44%	46%	10%
		July 29–August 1, 1983	44%	42%	14%
		July 22–25, 1983	42%	47%	11%
		June 24–27, 1983	47%	44%	9%
		June 10–13, 1983	43%	45%	12%
		May 20–23, 1983	46%	43%	11%
		May 13–16, 1983	43%	45%	12%
		April 29–May 2, 1983	43%	46%	11%
		April 15–18, 1983	41%	49%	10%
		March 11–14, 1983	41%	49%	10%
		February 25–28, 1983	40%	50%	10%
		January 28–31, 1983	35%	56%	9%
		January 21–24, 1983	37%	53%	10%
		January 14–17, 1983	37%	54%	9%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1982

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 10–13, 1982	41%	50%	9%	—	—	[17][23]
		November 19–22, 1982	43%	47%	10%			[17]
		November 5–8, 1982	43%	47%	10%
		October 15–18, 1982	42%	48%	10%
		September 17–20, 1982	42%	48%	10%
		August 27–30, 1982	42%	46%	12%
		August 13–16, 1982	41%	49%	10%
		July 30–August 2, 1982	41%	47%	12%
		July 23–26, 1982	42%	46%	12%
		June 25–28, 1982	44%	46%	10%
		June 11–14, 1982	45%	45%	10%
CBS News/The New York Times	All adults	May 19–23, 1982	43%	—	—	1,470	telephone	[24]
Gallup	—	May 14–17, 1982	45%	44%	11%	—	—	[17]
		April 30–May 3, 1982	44%	46%	10%
		April 23–26, 1982	43%	47%	10%
		April 2–5, 1982	45%	46%	9%
		March 12–15, 1982	46%	45%	9%
		February 5–8, 1982	47%	43%	10%
		January 22–25, 1982	47%	42%	11%
		January 8–11, 1982	49%	40%	11%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

1981

Pollster	Segment	Date(s)	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/no data	Sample	Method	Source(s)
Gallup	—	December 11–14, 1981	49%	41%	10%	—	—	[17]
		November 20–23, 1981	54%	37%	9%
		November 13–16, 1981	49%	40%	11%
		October 30–November 2, 1981	53%	35%	12%
		October 2–5, 1981	56%	35%	9%
		September 18–21, 1981	52%	37%	11%
		August 14–17, 1981	60%	29%	11%
		July 31–August 3, 1981	60%	28%	12%
		July 24–27, 1981	56%	30%	14%
		July 17–20, 1981	60%	29%	11%
		June 26–29, 1981	58%	30%	12%
		June 19–22, 1981	59%	29%	12%
		June 5–8, 1981	59%	28%	13%
		May 8–11, 1981	68%	21%	11%
		April 10–13, 1981	67%	19%	14%
		April 3–6, 1981	67%	18%	15%
ABC News/The Washington Post	—	March 25–29, 1981	62%	23%	15%	—	—	[3][25]
	—	March 31, 1981	73%	16%	11%	505	telephone
Gallup	—	March 13–16, 1981	60%	24%	16%	—	—	[17]
		February 13–16, 1981	55%	18%	27%
		January 30–February 2, 1981	51%	13%	36%

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove   plurality disapprove

See also

• Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign
• Ronald Reagan 1984 presidential campaign
• Nationwide opinion polling for the 1980 United States presidential election