Politics

South Africans appear disheartened by the country's political leadership, according to the latest eNCA / Ipsos Approval Ratings poll. The poll canvassed 3,416 adult South Africans between 25 October and 28 November 2016*.

President Donald Trump sees his job approval ratings underwater in the Reuters/Ipsos poll for the first time since assuming office with 50% of the public disapproving of his performance. The data indicates that all the furor around foreign policy is not playing to what the public perceives are his strengths, which remain the economy and jobs.

Brazilians started 2017 as they finished 2016: without trust in the country's direction. For 88% of the population, Brazil continues on the wrong direct - an index that has been intact since the very start of Michel Temer's Government (then interim) in April last year.

Three weeks into President Trump’s administration and we seem to have hit a rough equilibrium. While Donald Trump remains the least popular president to take office, his supporters have held with him and the country remains evenly split.

Welcome to the first Ipsos Update of 2017 - our monthly selection of research and thinking from Ipsos’ teams around the world.

After an eventful first week, Donald Trump continues to divide and energise the American public. Public opinion about him remains split with about equal numbers approving and disapproving of his job. However, looking deeper we see nearly unified blocks of Republicans in support and Democrats in opposition.

New data from Ipsos Global @dvisor shows that many across 23 countries around the world think that their society is broken, while feeling a lack of confidence in establishment institutions - especially political parties, governments and the media.

"Less than a week into his new job, fewer than half of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance,” described Chris Jackson of Ipsos. “His smart money would be to stay focused on the economy and jobs, where a majority of Americans think he’s doing a good job. Wading into the ACA fight puts Trump on less positive footing with public sentiment he might want to avoid."

The data indicates a shifting in eras for the American position in the world. The Obama administration was seen by many in global community as a president looking outward from our borders; while President Trump won the election by looking inwards and reinforcing the borders. Though it is clear that the public thinks this era might be short lived, with 1/3 believing Trump will be impeached in 2017.