2017 US Politics - 27% of Americans Believe the US is Heading in the Right Direction (September 6)

Listen to The Point Being, a podcast from the Ipsos Polling Team, where Chris Jackson and Phil Elwood discuss this week’s numbers.

As Americans come together to support Hurricane Harvey victims, the weekly Reuters/Ipsos poll sees a 5-point jump in optimism about the direction of the country, with 27% now believing the US is heading in the right direction (up from 23%). Democrats experienced little change this week, with an overwhelming majority of 83% still believing the country is on the wrong track. However, optimism among Republicans has jumped to 53%, up from 44% last week. Independents also report being more optimistic, now over a quarter (28%) believe the country is heading in the right direction, up from 16%.

In our six-month rolling average state polls, President Donald Trump’s approval rating is down across most of the country. In the Rust Belt, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin report lower approval in our six-month rolling approval by state. In the Southeast, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia are also losing faith in Trump, though still report higher approval than the Rust Belt.

However in this week’s national poll, President Trump’s approval is at 40% (up from 37% last week), now more in line with American’s approval of their Congressperson (45%). Both are still significantly higher than approval of Congress as a whole, with nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) saying they disapprove of Congress compared to only a quarter (25%) who approve.

New questions this week also ask about who Americans think may be leaving the White House next. Attorney General Jeff Sessions tops the list at 16%, followed by Kelly, Conway, Tillerson and Huckabee Sanders at 9% each.

These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted for Thomson Reuters September 1-5, 2017. For the survey, a sample of 1,672 Americans, ages 18+ were interviewed online.