Number of Factors Behind President Obama's Approval Rating Spike

It will likely be a bit more of an upbeat New Year's Eve in the White House this year after Gallup revealed that President Obama's approval rating has hit its highest level since August of 2013.

According to Gallup.com, President Barack Obama's approval rating currently sits at 48%, which is the highest such rating posted since the summer of 2013. This is a marked improvement from about a year ago when his approval rating reached as low as 39%.

48% of Americans still disapprove of the job that President Obama is doing - however, this is the first time since September of 2013 that there has not been a negative approval/disapproval gap for the President.

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What has changed for the President in recent months?

There are a number of possible factors behind the President's nine point approval rating surge, including:

1) Optimism over the state of the economy. Q3 GDP growth came in quite a bit higher than expected and was the strongest quarter of annualized growth in the United States in roughly 11 years.

2) Declining energy prices. Many American households have more cash thanks to a marked decline in energy prices and this has contributed to the sense of optimism.

3) Immigration. President Obama's recent moves on immigration have gained him more support from the Hispanic community and this has translated into a higher approval rating.

4) Cuba. The recent move towards normalized relations with Cuba has helped to gain President Obama more support from the Cuban-American community.

In addition, Gallup points out that President Obama may be benefitting from a "Christmas bump" and that his approval rating may decline in the coming weeks.

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Despite many people claiming that 2014 was a disastrous year for President Obama's legacy, his approval rating actually closed higher than where it started the year.

Source: Gallup.com - Obama's Job Approval Reaches 48%, Highest Since August 2013

Filed under: General Knowledge