Each month, the IBD/TIPP Poll, a collaboration between Investor’s Business Daily and TechnoMetrica, produces an exclusive Presidential Leadership Index. In addition to tracking President Donald Trump’s job approval rating, the index combines results from several questions in the monthly IBD/TIPP Poll to gauge how well the president is viewed when it comes to leading the country, both domestically and internationally.
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The index includes questions on presidential job approval, favorability measures on the president’s handling of domestic and foreign policy issues, and whether the president is providing strong or weak leadership.
In addition, IBD/TIPP each month asks questions focused on the public’s outlook overall. These questions gauge satisfaction with the direction of the country, respondents’ quality of life, and the United States’ standing in the world.
IBD/TIPP also produces the Economic Optimism Index at the beginning of each month.
See the schedule of upcoming IBD/TIPP poll releases.
Presidential Leadership Index: Overall
The IBD/TIPP Presidential Leadership Index rose 1.6% in September to 43.4 after August’s big 9.5% plunge. In July, the index rose 3.7%, erasing June’s 3.2% decline. The highest reading President Trump has scored on this index was in his first full month in office, when it stood at 49.2. The lowest came in August 2017, when it fell to 35.9. The Leadership Index comprises three subindexes measuring the president’s favorability (up 1.2% after falling 9.6% in August), job approval (down -0.5% after falling 10.7%), and whether he is providing strong leadership (up 3.9%, after August’s 8.6% drop).
Presidential Job Approval
In September’s poll, the share of Americans saying they approve of the job President Trump is doing fell 1% to 39%. In August, it plunged 7% to 40%. However, 55% say they disapprove, down 1% from August. But that gauge stood at 49% in July, 52% in June and 50% in May. The disapproval rating in March was 53%.
Direction Of The Country
The Direction of the Country Index fell 5.2% in September after dropping 5% in August. That gauge jumped 6.9% in July, after June’s 3.2% drop and May’s 7.1% gain. The index dropped 2.7% in April but soared 27.6% in March. This index still remains above its 17-year average of 41.8. It’s also above the average of 37 under President Obama. Anything under 50 registers dissatisfaction with the direction of the country.
Quality Of Life
The Quality of Life Index also dropped 3% after edging down 0.7% in August. It inched up 0.8% in July, fell 5.1% in June, but rose 3.6% in May. It remains above the average for this index under President Obama, which was 53.7. Unlike other measures, the Quality of Life Index has been relatively steady over the past 17 years.
Standing In The World
The Standing in the World Index was unchanged in September after dropping 7.8% in August, to 42.4. It rose 0.7% to 46 in July and gained 4.4% to 45.7 in June. This index increased 2.8% in May, 2% in April and 10.7% in March. Before that, the index fell for four straight months. It’s now just below the 17-year average for this index of 45.4, and just below the 42.6 under Obama. Over the past 17 years, the highest this index ever reached was immediately after 9/11, when it hit 74.9.
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Main IBD/TIPP Poll Page
IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index
IBD/TIPP Election 2016 Tracking Poll
Past Results
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Terry Jones
Investor’s Business Daily Commentary Editor
[email protected] | 310.448.6377
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GMK Communications
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