After some 80 years, Gallup’s presidential approval ratings are riding off into the sunset, and the public opinion polling agency is making a huge mistake.
The company confirmed to The Hill starting this year it would stop publishing approval and favorability ratings of individual political figures, saying in a statement it “reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership.”
We take issue with “evolution.” This is a step back, for public figures and voters alike.
Media outlets have used the the Gallup Presidential Approval Rating for decades as a barometer measuring what Americans think of the president’s performance.
Presidents either loved the numbers or hated them, and political parties fell in lock step praising or dismissing the polls. But the purpose wasn’t to court favor or score points, the Gallup poll merely reflected what Americans thought. And our leaders shouldn’t lose that window into the electorate’s judgment.
It’s a bit similar to the ancient Roman practice of memento mori, in which generals and emperors paraded through the streets to cheering throngs after a triumph. A servant would stand behind the honored leader, whispering in his ear “Look behind. Remember thou art mortal. Remember you must die!”
A poll is not as dramatic, but it’s important to remind whoever wins the White House that the Oval Office and all the trappings can all disappear with the next election, and a president is there to serve the people. Poll numbers underscore this.
President Trump has seen his rating by the agency slip in recent months, peaking at 47% last February and dipping to less than 37% in its last poll taken in December. He’s probably not thrilled with those results, but we’ll see if Trump’s moves on the illegal immigration and deportation front will result in a popularity uptick.
Some may take bad poll results as a signal to course-correct, others may ignore them and assign blame elsewhere. We’ve seen this on both sides of the aisle. But the poll-taking serve another purpose as well: amplifying the voice of the American people.
One may never be called by the Gallup organization, but seeing a negative or positive view of leadership reflected in a survey of fellow voters underscores the fact that we have a say in how our government is run, and we have the right to let our leaders know what we think of them.
When asked by The Hill if Gallup had received any feedback from the White House or anyone in the current administration before making the decision, the spokesperson said, “this is a strategic shift solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities.”
Why ditching a time-honored and oft-cited product is a good priority is baffling, but time will tell if this move dings the company.
Perhaps they should have taken a poll to see if it was a good idea.
