Perspective causes Americans to downgrade disgraced, failed ex-Prez Clinton:
April 8, 2002
Clinton's Retrospective Job Approval at 51%
Reagan, Carter, Ford and Kennedy are seen in more positive light now than while in office; Nixon's and Johnson's retrospective ratings are worse
by Frank Newport
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- John F. Kennedy continues to have the highest retrospective job-approval rating of any of the last eight presidents, followed by Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson have the lowest retrospective approval ratings. Bill Clinton -- measured for the first time since leaving office -- ranks only sixth. Clinton’s retrospective approval rating is slightly lower than his overall average while he was in office, and considerably lower than his average over his second term, between 1997 and 2001.
These ratings are based on a question that asks Americans to indicate whether -- in retrospect -- they approve or disapprove of the way a president handled his job while he was in office.
Retrospective Job Approval Ratings:
March 2002
March 18-20, 2002
The spread in these ratings is quite wide, as can be seen. More than eight out of 10 Americans say they approve of the way John F. Kennedy handled the presidency, while at the other end of the spectrum, only about a third say they approve of how the office was handled by Richard Nixon.
In most cases, these retrospective ratings differ substantially from the actual ratings the presidents received while they were in office. The retrospective ratings can be quite significant, as they provide a window into the way in which the passage of time and the impact of revisionist history are shaping the long-term reputations of the presidents. Most students of history know that presidents who are now regarded quite highly -- such as Abraham Lincoln -- may not have been nearly as popular while they were in office.
Retrospective Job Approval Rating Vs. Actual Averages While in Office
Five of the last eight presidents now have more positive approval ratings than they did while in office.
The biggest increase occurs with Ronald Reagan, who was in office between 1981 and 1989. Reagan’s average job-approval rating while in office -- 53% -- was only mid-range. (Reagan averaged 50% in his first term and 55% in his second term.) Now, looking back, a resounding 73% of Americans say they approve of how he handled his job while president -- a 20 percentage-point jump....
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