Students skeptical about Bush
Survey of NLC classes yields similar results as national samples
As close as we are to another midterm
election, the last for George
W. Bush, I decided to poll my
government students on the first
day of the fall semester to avoid outside (instructor)
influence.
The focus of this study was 1) to determine
the president's approval rating, his handling
of key issues, and presidential characteristics
and qualities two months prior to the November
elections; and, 2) to find out if opinions of
a small North Lake College government students' sample were drastically different from
those opinions of national opinion surveys.
Unsatisfied Independents
The majority of students who classify
themselves as independent or as
having no party affiliation have a low
opinion of the president in terms of
his leadership characteristics. |
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Performance on Key Issues
The students were asked about the
president's performance on several key
issues. Forty-one percent of students
approve the president's handling of terrorism,
30 percent approve of his economic
performance and 23 percent approve
of the way he is handling the war
in Iraq. Additionally, 28 percent approve
of his stance on the environment
and 34 percent approve of his stance on
immigration. |
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Honesty and Trust
Sixty-four percent of students believe
the president “picks good people
for key leadership positions,” but only
44 percent think he “can manage government
effectively.”
Forty-five percent of students believe
that President Bush is honest and trustworthy.
An equal number believe that
“he cares about the needs of people like
me.” |
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Job Approval
When asked about “the way
George Bush is handling his
job as president,” 28 percent
of students approved, 48 percent
disapproved and 24 percent
had no opinion. These
numbers are similar to national
polling numbers. |
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Political Persuasion
Twenty-six percent of those surveyed
considered themselves Republicans, 22
percent Democrats, 9 percent Independents.
A remarkable 43 percent of the students,
however, displayed no partisanship
preference. |
Approximately 137 government students participated in this survey (adapted from a May 2006 Gallup poll). Of
the 137 polled, 62 (45 percent) are female students and 75 (55 percent) are male students. The majority (63 percent)
was between the age of 19 and 24. Fifteen (11 percent) stated that they were not American citizens.
—Dr. Bach is a professor of Government at North Lake. |
Gabriel Bach
White House Photo
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