📊Presidents Ranked by Approval Rating
US presidents ordered by their single highest recorded Gallup approval rating shows how crises and achievements can spike public support. The stakes are clear in moments like post-9/11 unity or wartime leadership when ratings hit historic peaks. Compare the numbers and vote for the president whose approval surge best matches the moment.
Fact-ranked — the numbers decide the order, not votes
What counts: Ranked strictly by highest single recorded approval rating; figures are approximate Gallup poll results.
Bush reached 90 percent approval in the days after 9/11 as the nation rallied around decisive action. The spike outpaced every other modern president and defined his early term image. It earned the top spot on raw peak numbers alone.
Peak %: 90 %Term: 2001-2009Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 2001Avg %: 49 %
added by IJRin 13 rankingsGeorge W. Bush
Truman hit 87 percent shortly after taking office following FDR's death and the end of World War II. The surge reflected relief at victory and continuity. It places him second on documented peaks.
Peak %: 87 %Term: 1945-1953Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1945Avg %: 45 %
added by IJRin 6 rankingsHarry S. Truman
FDR recorded an 84 percent peak during the early New Deal years as Americans sought relief from the Depression. Repeated elections confirmed sustained high support. The number secures third place.
Peak %: 84 %Term: 1933-1945Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1937Avg %: 63 %
added by IJRin 20 rankingsFranklin D. Roosevelt
Clinton reached 73 percent during the late-1990s economic boom and budget surpluses. Strong job numbers drove the high mark. It ranks him fourth among measured peaks.
Peak %: 73 %Term: 1993-2001Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1998Avg %: 55 %
added by IJRin 16 rankingsBill Clinton
Eisenhower posted a 79 percent rating amid postwar prosperity and the end of the Korean War. Steady popularity lasted most of his tenure. The figure places him fifth.
Peak %: 79 %Term: 1953-1961Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1953Avg %: 65 %
added by IJRin 16 rankingsDwight D. Eisenhower
Kennedy achieved 83 percent early in his term before the Bay of Pigs and later recovered after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The high-water mark reflects initial optimism.
Peak %: 83 %Term: 1961-1963Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1961Avg %: 70 %
added by IJRin 11 rankingsJohn F. Kennedy
Johnson hit 79 percent after passing the Civil Rights Act and Great Society programs. Early momentum from Kennedy's legacy boosted numbers.
Peak %: 79 %Term: 1963-1969Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1964Avg %: 55 %
added by IJRin 14 rankingsLyndon B. Johnson
Reagan reached 68 percent during the 1984 reelection year after economic recovery. The Iran-Contra dip came later but the peak stands.
Peak %: 68 %Term: 1981-1989Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1984Avg %: 53 %
added by IJRin 16 rankingsRonald Reagan
Obama opened with 69 percent approval on hopes of post-partisan change. The number reflects early goodwill before partisan battles intensified.
Peak %: 69 %Term: 2009-2017Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 2009Avg %: 49 %
added by IJRin 17 rankingsBarack Obama
Bush hit 89 percent after the Gulf War victory in 1991. The swift military success produced one of the largest single jumps on record.
Peak %: 89 %Term: 1989-1993Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1991Avg %: 61 %
added by IJRin 5 rankingsGeorge H. W. Bush
Nixon reached 67 percent early after China opening and before Watergate. The later collapse makes the early high notable.
Peak %: 67 %Term: 1969-1974Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1969Avg %: 49 %
added by IJRin 18 rankingsRichard Nixon
Carter started at 66 percent with outsider appeal after Watergate. The Iran hostage crisis later drove ratings to historic lows.
Peak %: 66 %Term: 1977-1981Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1977Avg %: 45 %
added by IJRin 11 rankingsJimmy Carter
Gerald Ford
Ford opened near 71 percent after Nixon's resignation but the pardon quickly cut support. The initial number still ranks respectably.
Peak %: 71 %Term: 1974-1977Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1974Avg %: 47 %
added by IJRin 7 rankings
Biden began at 57 percent amid pandemic rollout and vaccine distribution. The number reflects a modest honeymoon compared with earlier peaks.
Peak %: 57 %Term: 2021-2025Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 2021Avg %: 42 %
added by IJRin 5 rankingsJoe Biden
Trump's highest mark reached 49 percent during strong pre-pandemic economy. Polarization kept the ceiling lower than predecessors.
Peak %: 49 %Term: 2017-2021Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 2020Avg %: 41 %
added by IJRin 17 rankingsDonald Trump
Hoover entered office near 60 percent before the Great Depression erased gains. The early rating still exceeds many later averages.
Peak %: 60 %Term: 1929-1933Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1929Avg %: 35 %
added by IJRin 10 rankingsHerbert Hoover
Coolidge maintained steady 50s ratings through the Roaring Twenties prosperity. Limited polling data still shows consistent support.
Peak %: 55 %Term: 1923-1929Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1926Avg %: 52 %
added by IJRin 9 rankingsCalvin Coolidge
Harding began near 60 percent promising normalcy after World War I. Teapot Dome later destroyed the numbers.
Peak %: 60 %Term: 1921-1923Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1921Avg %: 40 %
added by IJRin 4 rankingsWarren G. Harding
Taft opened near 55 percent after Roosevelt's endorsement but progressive splits hurt later. The early figure is modest but recorded.
Peak %: 55 %Term: 1909-1913Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1909Avg %: 45 %
added by IJRin 8 rankingsWilliam Howard Taft
Roosevelt sustained high popularity near 65 percent through trust-busting and conservation. The era lacked modern polling but contemporary surveys support the level.
Peak %: 65 %Term: 1901-1909Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1905Avg %: 60 %
added by IJRin 16 rankingsTheodore Roosevelt
McKinley held steady support near 60 percent during Spanish-American War victory. The war boost is the documented high point.
Peak %: 60 %Term: 1897-1901Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1898Avg %: 55 %
added by IJRin 6 rankingsWilliam McKinley
Cleveland maintained around 50 percent across non-consecutive terms amid economic turbulence. The figure reflects mixed but steady support.
Peak %: 50 %Term: 1885-1889, 1893-1897Party: DemocraticPeak Year: 1885Avg %: 48 %
added by IJRin 10 rankingsGrover Cleveland
Harrison began near 48 percent before tariff fights and depression eroded numbers. The modest peak fits the era's thin polling.
Peak %: 48 %Term: 1889-1893Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1889Avg %: 42 %
added by IJRin 6 rankingsBenjamin Harrison
Arthur reached near 50 percent after civil service reform despite machine-politics origins. The rating shows surprising rehabilitation.
Peak %: 50 %Term: 1881-1885Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1883Avg %: 45 %
added by IJRin 4 rankingsChester A. Arthur
Garfield held brief high support near 55 percent before assassination cut the term short. Limited data still records the early mark.
Peak %: 55 %Term: 1881Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1881Avg %: 50 %
added by IJRin 4 rankingsJames A. Garfield
Hayes opened near 45 percent after disputed 1876 election. The rating reflects the narrow legitimacy window.
Peak %: 45 %Term: 1877-1881Party: RepublicanPeak Year: 1877Avg %: 40 %
added by IJRin 6 rankingsRutherford B. Hayes
