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Monmouth University Poll: Biden Gets Little Economic Credit

WBJB | By Michele McBride
Published July 20, 2023 at 5:45 AM EDT

Biden earns a split decision on his handling of jobs and unemployment (47% approve and 48% disapprove). He gets a net negative rating for his handling of transportation and energy infrastructure (43% approve and 51% disapprove) and an even worse rating for his handling of inflation (34% approve and 62% disapprove). More than 7 in 10 Democrats give the president positive marks on these policy areas and more than 8 in 10 Republicans rate him negatively. Approval among independents stands at 41% for jobs and unemployment, 37% for transportation and energy infrastructure, and just 26% for inflation. These results are similar to Biden’s ratings for these three policy areas in a Monmouth poll taken last September.

“The president has been touting ‘Bidenomics,’ but the needle of public opinion has not really moved. Americans are just not giving him a lot of credit when it comes to the economy,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Some indicators suggest the U.S. economy has been recovering better than other countries from the worldwide instability and rising prices brought on by the Covid pandemic. However, just 30% of the American public believes that. In fact, 32% say the U.S. economy’s recovery from this situation is worse than other countries and another 33% say the U.S. recovery is about the same as the rest of the world.

The Monmouth University Poll finds Biden’s overall job performance rating currently stands at 44% approve and 52% disapprove. His approval number is three points higher than it has been over the past few months, but his overall rating is statistically in line with where it has been since last autumn. Just 25% of the public says the country is going in the right direction, while 68% say it is on the wrong track.

In other poll findings, Vice President Kamala Harris receives a job rating of 40% approve and 52% disapprove. These numbers have not moved much since Monmouth started polling the vice president’s job performance earlier this year. Opinion of the job the U.S. Congress is doing stands at 22% approve and 68% disapprove, which is basically in line with poll findings since last autumn.

The poll also asked about the performance of congressional leadership. Only House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries receives a net positive score from the American public (24% approve and 18% disapprove), but only 4 in 10 know enough about him to register an opinion. The other three top leaders are rated by 6 in 10 Americans, with Jeffries’ fellow Democrat in the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (25% approve and 37% disapprove), and his Republican counterpart in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (23% approve and 39% disapprove), earning similar, albeit negative, ratings. McCarthy has become better known since taking the Speaker’s gavel in January, but his net rating is basically unchanged because both his approve and disapprove numbers have increased. The public’s lowest leader ratings are reserved for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (12% approve and 50% disapprove). As a whole, Democrats tend to be more positive about their party’s leadership than Republicans are about their own congressional leaders.

The Monmouth University Poll was conducted by telephone from July 12 to 17, 2023 with 910 adults in the United States. The question results in this release have a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percentage points for the full sample. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ.

QUESTIONS AND RESULTS     

(* Some columns may not add to 100% due to rounding.)

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president?


  TREND:July2023May2023March2023Jan.2023Dec.2022Oct.2022Sept.2022Aug.2022June2022May2022March2022Jan.2022
Approve44%41%41%43%42%40%38%38%36%38%39%39%
Disapprove52%53%51%48%50%53%54%56%58%57%54%54%
(VOL) No opinion4%6%8%9%8%7%8%7%6%5%7%7%
(n)(910)(981)(805)(805)(805)(808)(806)(808)(978)(807)(809)(794)
  TREND:ContinuedDec.2021Nov.2021Sept.2021July2021June2021April2021March2021Jan.2021
Approve40%42%46%48%48%54%51%54%
Disapprove50%50%46%44%43%41%42%30%
(VOL) No opinion11%9%8%8%9%5%8%16%
(n)(808)(811)(802)(804)(810)(800)(802)(809)

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Kamala Harris is doing as vice president?

TREND:July2023May2023March2023
Approve40%37%36%
Disapprove52%52%53%
(VOL) No opinion7%11%12%
(n)(910)(981)(805)

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the job the U.S. Congress is doing?

  TREND:July2023May2023March2023Jan.2023
Approve22%18%23%19%
Disapprove68%72%68%67%
(VOL) No opinion10%9%10%14%
(n)(910)(981)(805)(805)


  TREND:    ContinuedDec.2022Oct.2022Sept.2022Aug.2022June2022May2022March2022Jan.2022Dec.2021Nov.2021Sept.2021July2021June2021April2021March2021Jan.2021
Approve26%23%23%17%15%15%21%19%23%18%22%23%21%35%30%35%
Disapprove62%69%66%74%78%77%71%74%66%70%65%62%65%56%59%51%
(VOL) No opinion12%8%11%9%7%8%8%6%11%12%13%15%15%9%11%14%
(n)(805)(808)(806)(808)(978)(807)(809)(794)(808)(811)(802)(804)(810)(800)(802)(809)


  TREND:

Continued

Nov.2020Early June2020May2020April2020Feb.2020Jan.2020Dec.2019Nov.2019Sept.2019Aug.2019June2019May2019April2019March2019Jan.2019
Approve23%22%32%32%20%24%22%23%21%17%19%20%24%23%18%
Disapprove64%69%55%55%69%62%65%64%68%71%69%71%62%68%72%
(VOL) No opinion13%9%13%13%11%14%13%13%11%13%12%9%14%9%10%
(n)(810)(807)(808)(857)(902)(903)(903)(908)(1,161)(800)(751)(802)(801)(802)(805)
  TREND: ContinuedNov.2018Aug.2018June2018April2018March2018Jan.2018Dec.2017Sept.2017Aug.2017July2017May2017March2017Jan.2017
Approve23%17%19%17%18%21%16%17%18%19%19%25%23%
Disapprove63%69%67%71%72%68%65%69%69%70%68%59%66%
(VOL) No opinion14%14%14%12%11%11%19%15%13%11%13%16%11%
(n)(802)(805)(806)(803)(803)(806)(806)(1,009)(805)(800)(1,002)(801)(801)


  TREND: ContinuedSept.2016*Aug.2016*June2016*March2016Jan.2016Dec.2015Oct.2015Sept.2015Aug.2015July2015June2015April2015Jan.2015Dec.2014July2013
Approve15%14%17%22%17%16%17%19%18%18%19%21%18%17%14%
Disapprove77%78%76%68%73%73%71%71%72%69%71%67%70%73%76%
(VOL) No opinion8%9%7%10%10%10%12%11%11%12%10%12%11%11%10%
(n)(802)(803)(803)(1,008)(1,003)(1,006)(1,012)(1,009)(1,203)(1,001)(1,002)(1,005)(1,003)(1,008)(1,012)

        * Registered voters

[QUESTIONS 4 - 7 WERE ROTATED]

4. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Chuck Schumer is doing as Senate Majority Leader, or do you have no opinion of him?

TREND:July2023Jan.2023Dec.2022Nov.2021April2018*July2017*
Approve25%24%19%21%16%17%
Disapprove37%37%37%37%29%28%
No opinion38%39%44%43%55%55%
(n)(910)(805)(805)(811)(803)(800)

*Question wording was: “as Senate Minority Leader?”

5. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Hakeem Jeffries is doing as House Minority Leader, or do you have no opinion of him?

TREND:July2023Jan.2023
Approve24%18%
Disapprove18%16%
No opinion59%66%
(n)(910)(805)

6. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Mitch McConnell is doing as Senate Minority Leader, or do you have no opinion of him?

TREND:July2023Jan.2023Dec.2022Jan.2020*Nov.2019*Jan.2019*Nov.2018*April2018*July2017*
Approve12%12%12%21%15%15%15%10%12%
Disapprove50%52%56%39%39%40%28%38%38%
No opinion37%36%32%40%46%45%57%52%49%
(n)(910)(805)(805)(903)(908)(805)(802)(803)(800)

*Question wording was: “as Senate Majority Leader?”

7. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Kevin McCarthy is doing as Speaker of the House, or do you have no opinion of him?

TREND:July2023Jan.2023Dec.2022*
Approve23%19%12%
Disapprove39%35%34%
No opinion37%46%54%
(n)(910)(805)(805)

*Question wording was: “as House Minority Leader?”

8. Would you say things in the country are going in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track?

  TREND:July2023May2023March2023Jan.2023
Right direction25%16%22%24%
Wrong track68%74%72%73%
(VOL) Depends5%6%3%1%
(VOL) Don’t know3%4%3%2%
(n)(910)(981)(805)(805)


  TREND: ContinuedDec.2022Sept.2022Aug.2022June2022May2022March2022Jan.2022Dec.2021Nov.2021Sept.2021July2021June2021April2021March2021Jan.2021
Right direction28%23%15%10%18%24%24%30%31%29%38%37%46%34%42%
Wrong track68%74%82%88%79%73%71%66%64%65%56%57%50%61%51%
(VOL) Depends2%2%1%1%2%1%3%1%2%4%3%3%2%4%3%
(VOL) Don’t know3%2%2%1%2%2%2%3%3%2%4%3%2%2%4%
(n)(805)(806)(808)(978)(807)(809)(794)(808)(811)(802)(804)(810)(800)(802)(809)
  TREND:ContinuedNov.2020Early Sept.2020Aug.2020Late June2020Early June2020May2020April2020March2020Feb.2020Jan.2020
Right direction26%27%22%18%21%33%30%39%37%37%
Wrong track68%66%72%74%74%60%61%54%57%56%
(VOL) Depends4%4%4%5%4%4%5%4%6%6%
(VOL) Don’t know2%3%2%3%1%3%5%3%1%1%
(n)(810)(867)(868)(867)(807)(808)(857)(851)(902)(903)


  TREND:ContinuedDec.2019Nov.2019Sept.2019Aug.2019June2019May2019April2019March2019Nov.2018Aug.2018June2018April2018March2018Jan.2018
Right direction32%30%30%28%31%29%28%29%35%35%40%33%31%37%
Wrong track56%61%61%62%62%63%62%63%55%57%53%58%61%57%
(VOL) Depends8%7%6%8%6%4%7%6%7%6%3%5%6%3%
(VOL) Don’t know4%2%2%2%2%3%3%2%3%3%3%4%1%3%
(n)(903)(908)(1,161)(800)(751)(802)(801)(802)(802)(805)(806)(803)(803)(806)
  TREND:ContinuedDec.2017Aug.2017May2017March2017Jan.2017Aug.2016*Oct.2015July2015June2015April2015Dec.2014July2013
Right direction24%32%31%35%29%30%24%28%23%27%23%28%
Wrong track66%58%61%56%65%65%66%63%68%66%69%63%
(VOL) Depends7%4%5%4%4%2%6%5%5%5%5%5%
(VOL) Don’t know3%5%3%5%2%3%4%3%3%2%3%4%
(n)(806)(805)(1,002)(801)(801)(803)(1,012)(1,001)(1,002)(1,005)(1,008)(1,012)

        * Registered voters

9. Do you approve or disapprove of how Joe Biden has handled the following policy areas?

[ITEMS WERE ROTATED]

    TREND:    ApproveDisapprove(VOL) Don’t know(n)
Jobs and unemployment47%48%5%(910)
   -- Sept. 202243%52%5%(806)
     
Transportation and energy infrastructure43%51%5%(910)
   -- Sept. 202243%49%8%(806)
     
Inflation34%62%4%(910)
   -- Sept. 202230%66%4%(806)
     

10. The Covid pandemic led to economic instability and rising prices around the world. Do you think the United States economy is recovering better, worse, or about the same as other countries from this situation?

 July2023
Better30%
Worse32%
About the same33%
(VOL) Don’t know5%
(n)(910)

[Q11-34 held for future release.]

METHODOLOGY

The Monmouth University Poll was sponsored and conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute from July 12 to 17, 2023 with a probability-based national random sample of 910 adults age 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English, and included 319 live landline telephone interviews, 480 live cell phone interviews, and 111 online surveys via a cell phone text invitation. Telephone numbers were selected through a mix of random digit dialing and list-based sampling. Landline respondents were selected with a modified Troldahl-Carter youngest adult household screen. Interviewing services were provided by Braun Research, with sample obtained from Dynata (RDD, n= 569), Aristotle (list, n= 136) and a panel of prior Monmouth poll participants (n= 205). Monmouth is responsible for all aspects of the survey design, data weighting and analysis. The full sample is weighted for region, age, education, gender and race based on US Census information (ACS 2021 one-year survey). For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling has a maximum margin of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points adjusted for sample design effects (1.52). Sampling error can be larger for sub-groups (see table below). In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.


DEMOGRAPHICS (weighted)
Self-Reported
26% Republican
44% Independent
30% Democrat
 
49% Male
51% Female
 
29% 18-34
33% 35-54
38% 55+
 
62% White
12% Black
17% Hispanic
  9% Asian/Other
 
67% No degree
33% 4 year degree
MARGIN OF ERROR
unweighted  samplemoe(+/-)
TOTAL 9104.9%
REGISTERED VOTERYes8405.2%
No7017.8%
SELF-REPORTED PARTY IDRepublican2339.8%
Independent4047.4%
Democrat2709.1%
IDEOLOGYLiberal22010.1%
Moderate3508.0%
Conservative3218.3%
GENDERMale4527.0%
Female4587.0%
AGE18-3415112.1%
35-542988.6%
55+4597.0%
CHILDREN IN HOMEYes19810.6%
No7095.6%
RACEWhite, non-Hispanic6675.8%
Other21410.2%
COLLEGE GRADUATENo degree4397.1%
4 year degree4656.9%
WHITE COLLEGEWhite, no degree3068.5%
White, 4 year degree3587.9%
INCOME<$50K2609.2%
$50 to <$100K2429.6%
$100K+3528.0%

Crosstabs may be found in the PDF file on the report webpage: https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_US_071923/
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Michele McBride
I’ve had my dream job of waking up with all the great listeners and members of Brookdale Public Radio since January 3, 2005. Prior to this job, I began my career in radio at NJ 101.5 FM as a producer. From there, I took time off from radio to do other things. (including becoming a mom!)
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