CAMPAIGN ’88 : Public’s Confidence in Reagan Rebounds

As President Reagan’s final term winds to a close, public confidence in his leadership is returning--though not to the level he enjoyed before the Iran-Contra scandal broke.

Currently, 54% approve and 37% disapprove of the way Reagan is handling his presidential duties, similar to his performance ratings in July and August. For the better part of two years, the President’s popularity languished near the 50% mark, after plummeting from 63% shortly before the Iran-Contra revelations.

In addition, 52% of 1,001 voters surveyed nationwide from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 feel Reagan will go down in history as an “outstanding” (12%) or “above average” (40%) President, substantially more than the 39% who held these views a year ago but well below the 62% recorded in early 1986.

The new survey provides no direct evidence for Reagan’s improved public standing, but recent Gallup polls have found a marked upturn in Americans’ financial optimism. And in July fully three-fourths (77%) approved of Reagan’s handling of this country’s relations with the Soviet Union, the largest proportion to have done so during his tenure.

With Reagan playing an active role in Vice President George Bush’s presidential campaign and Bush running largely on the Reagan Administration’s record, renewed public confidence in Reagan could affect the election outcome. Currently, voters who approve of Reagan’s conduct in office favor Republican Bush over Democrat Michael S. Dukakis for the presidency by a 76% to 17% margin; those who disapprove of Reagan come down heavily on Dukakis’ side, 83% to 7%.