- Opinions of Biden’s job performance overall and on the economy have improved slightly since November.
- Democrats are more trusted on a range of issues including abortion, health care, and Social Security/Medicare, while Republicans retain narrow advantages on inflation and crime.
- More Americans describe the Republican Party as “extreme” than the Democratic Party
Biden’s Job Approval Overall and on the Economy Have Ticked Up Since Mid-November
Biden’s overall job approval rating (net -6 approve now, up from -11 in November) and his economic approval rating (net -13 now, up from -18) have both improved modestly by 5 points since mid-November.
Biden and Democrats More Trusted on Range of Issues, Including Health Care and Ensuring the Government Runs Smoothly
Biden and Democrats are more trusted by double digits on abortion (net +19), health care (+16), Social Security/Medicare (+17), and democracy (+14). They are also more trusted to “ensure the government runs smoothly” by 5 points.
- Republicans hold slight advantages on crime (net +4 GOP, down from net +8 in October) and inflation (net +7, down from net +10).
House Minority Leader Jeffries Remains Largely Unknown, Though There’s Been a Modest Increase in Name Recognition
Jeffries’ name recognition has increased from 33% in mid-November to 42% now, as opinions diverge along partisan lines: his net favorability has increased by 7 points among Democrats (from net +20 to net +27) and decreased by 9 points among Republicans (from net -18 to net -27).
Nearly Three in Five Americans See Republicans as Extreme; Fewer Say the Same of the Democratic Party
By a 23-point margin, Americans see the Republican Party as extreme, compared to a smaller 8-point margin for the Democratic Party.
- There has been a 5-point increase in the share of independents who say the Democratic Party is extreme since September (from net +23 extreme to net +28), matched by a 5-point increase in the share who say the Republican Party is extreme (from +20 to +25).
More Democrats Than Republicans See Their Own Party Looking Out for Them; Independents Say Neither Party Is
By a 38-point margin, Democrats think their party is looking out for people like them “all” or “most of the time,” while Republicans think their party is generally looking out for people like them by just a 21-point margin.
