• Polling

Biden’s Ratings Rise After Passage of Infrastructure Legislation

Friday, November 12, 2021 By Bryan Bennett
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Welcome to NAVIGATOR – a project designed to better understand the American public’s views on issues of the day and help advocates, elected officials, and other interested parties understand the language, imagery, and messaging needed to make and win key policy arguments.
Key takeaways
  • A majority of Americans heard at least some positive news about Biden’s presidency in the last week, with passage of the infrastructure bill, handling of coronavirus, and focus on climate breaking through.
  • Most Americans see Biden as valuing hard work, doing what’s best for the country, and standing up for the middle class.
  • Half of Americans now say the worst is over in the pandemic, and a majority feel Biden is doing enough to get the country past it.

Biden’s Approval Ratings Show Positive Movement Since Late October

Biden’s overall net approval has improved 7 points since asked October 25th (from -10 to -3) and 4 points on the pandemic (from +3 to +7).

Efforts to Pass the Infrastructure Bill, Climate Change, and Vaccines Dominate Positive Conversation Around Biden

Nearly four in five Democrats (79%), 49% of independents, and 22% of Republicans report hearing at least some positives about Biden this week; on the other hand, when it comes to Republicans in Congress, just 26% of Democrats, 35% of independents, and 66% of Republicans report hearing something positive.

Democrats More “Hopeful” and “Relieved” While Independents & Republicans Remain “Frustrated” and “Uneasy”

Since asked in late October, there has been a 5-point increase among Democrats in being both “hopeful” (from 65% to 70%) and “relieved” (from 46% to 51%).

Strengths of Biden Brand Are on Valuing Hard Work and Standing Up for the Middle Class

Majorities of independents say Biden “values hard work” (51%) and is “trying to do what’s best for the country” (50%).

Trump’s Presidency Broadly Seen as More Chaotic Than Biden’s

Nearly half of independents say Trump’s presidency was more chaotic (45%), while just 24% say Biden’s presidency has been more chaotic of the two.

Americans Need to Hear More About Jobs and the Economy from Biden and Congress

For 58% of Americans, jobs and the economy are a top priority, but just 37% say they see Biden and Congress focusing on it. These low numbers are driven by just 19% of Republicans who say Biden and Congress are focused on the issue.

Half of Americans Now Say They Feel the “Worst Is Over” in the Pandemic for the First Time Since July

Nearly half of Democrats say the “worst is over” (47%), as do 38% of independents and 57% of Republicans.

Majorities Continue to Feel Pandemic Is Not “Completely” or “Mostly” Over for Themselves or the Country

Nearly three in five continue to say the pandemic is not over for themselves (57%), and three in four say the same about the country broadly (75%).

A Majority Say Biden Is Doing Enough on the Pandemic While Nearly Half Say Republicans in Congress Are Not

More than half of Americans say Biden is doing enough on the pandemic, including two in five independents. When it comes to Republicans in Congress, just 36% say they are doing enough, including just 25% of independents.

About The Study

This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,003 registered voters conducted November 4-8, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 100 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, 100 independents without a partisan lean, and 78 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.

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About Navigator

In a world where the news cycle is the length of a tweet, our leaders often lack the real-time public-sentiment analysis to shape the best approaches to talking about the issues that matter the most. Navigator is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates by conducting research and reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press. Navigator is a project led by pollsters from Global Strategy Group and GBAO along with an advisory committee, including: Andrea Purse, progressive strategist; Arkadi Gerney, The Hub Project; Joel Payne, The Hub Project; Christina Reynolds, EMILY’s List; Delvone Michael, Working Families; Felicia Wong, Roosevelt Institute; Mike Podhorzer, AFL-CIO; Jesse Ferguson, progressive strategist; Navin Nayak, Center for American Progress Action Fund; Stephanie Valencia, EquisLabs; and Melanie Newman, Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

For press inquiries contact: press@navigatorresearch.org