A rising share of Americans show disapproval towards Biden

A rising share of Americans show disapproval towards Biden

In five recent polls, dissatisfaction with the policy of the country's 46th president was registered on the RealClearPolitics website, with three being positive.

In a series of national polls conducted last week, Biden's approval rating stands at 44.5% approve to 49.2% disapprove, with disapproval up since April. The survey was conducted throughout August and early September, and Biden's ratings shifted over that time, with his approval rating in the first half of August (55%) more positive than in later interviews (50%).

Analysts say the decline in Biden's reputation is particularly strong among independent voters who helped him defeat the then-President Donald Trump last year.

In July, at the six-month marking of his presidential term, Biden enjoyed a nine-percentage point advantage, but by the end of August, polls showed that American voters were evenly divided in their views on him.

His popularity has declined since then, so political analysts have offered several explanations. That is a period of time that coincides with the chaotic withdrawal of the U.S. army from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, analysts say.

They also cite political tensions in Washington between Republicans and Democrats over raising the state's upper debt limit and between progressive and moderate Democratic lawmakers on the size and scope of Biden's proposed plan for the largest expansion of the country's social security network in more than five decades.

The number of new coronavirus infections in the country has also risen in recent months before it began to decline, although nearly 70 million Americans have remained unvaccinated. Biden has ordered vaccinations or frequent testing for COVID-19 for workers in companies with 100 or more employees, but the mandates are controversial in some parts of the country and in some companies and have yet to take effect. Democrats and Republicans in the Senate agreed late last week on an urgent increase in the borrowing limit until early December, when the issue will have to be reconsidered.

Meanwhile, Democrats, on Biden's order, are trying to reduce his proposal for spending on social protection by 3500 billion dollars and adopt it together with the two-party laws on infrastructure by the end of October. Passing the law and easing the dangers of coronavirus could help Biden's position, but FiveThirtyEight noted that Biden currently has a lower rating than all but two presidents since 1945, including Trump.

Americans express widespread anger about how things are going in the US, with 74% saying they are at least somewhat angry about things in the country today. That is about as widespread as last summer, but the feeling is less intense now. While 51% described themselves as "very angry" last year, just 26% feel the same way now, squarely between the level of intense anger measured in the first years of Donald Trump's (31%) and Barack Obama's (23%) presidencies.

Asked about Biden's declining popularity, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki recently told reporters: "This is a really difficult time for our country. We are still struggling with COVID, and many people thought we would get through it, including us."

"There is no doubt that it affects many issues," she said, "such as the supply chain of consumer goods of foreign producers who are stuck in American ports due to lack of workers." She also said that people are worried about their safety and well-being at work.

Jen Psaki added: "Our focus is to get the pandemic under control and return to some version of normal life in this country."