Rise and fall of Bush's popularity

Every US president's popularity among the American public is measured by approval ratings; opinion polls conducted weekly or monthly by a host of polling companies.

See below how George W Bush has fared in the eight years since he was first sworn in as president, in relation to key events that occurred during his presidency.

Although his popularity reached about 90% during 2001, his rating at the end of 2008 makes him one of the most unpopular presidents since polling began in the late 1930s.

This data was collated by independent polling resource website PollingReport.com Full data from these and other polls can be found on the dedicated page President Bush: Job Ratings . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

FOX NEWS/OPINION DYNAMICS POLL: Question: "Do you approve or disapprove of the job George W Bush is doing as president?" Size of sample: 900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error: ± 3

CBS NEWS: Question: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W Bush is handling his job as president?" Size of sample = 1,390 adults nationwide. Margin of error: ± 3

GALLUP POLL: Question: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W Bush is handling his job as president?" Size of sample: Approx. 1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error: n/a