From BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
The Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University has released the results of its latest web-based poll, conducted from Aug. 25 – Sept. 1, with insight from 1,200 U.S. likely voters.
Topics covered in the poll include:
- The president’s approval rating
- One party showing an early midterm advantage and an early look at 2028 hopefuls
- Americans’ views on the current state of politics and stance on politicians
The nonpartisan poll has an overall margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.
President Trump with low approval – Most believe the country is on the wrong track with significant concerns over the economy and the Iran War
“Donald Trump is deeply unpopular and every one of his policies we asked voters about is underwater, too,” said Robert Alexander, professor of political science at BGSU. “Although Donald Trump will not be on the ballot, Democrats will do their best to tie him to their opponents this fall.”
Democrats with early midterm advantage
“The party in power almost always loses seats in midterm elections, and 2026 is shaping up to maintain this pattern,” Alexander said. “Democrats are far more motivated to vote, hold a lead on the generic ballot, and are trusted by voters more on most issues, including health care affordability, Social Security, and housing.”
An early look at 2028 hopefuls
“While it’s still early, the 2028 GOP presidential nomination looks to be a two-person race, with Marco Rubio picking up steam and JD Vance beginning to slip,” said Melissa K. Miller, professor of political science at BGSU. “On the Democratic side, the race for the presidential nomination is much more wide open.”
Virtually all Americans are exhausted with politics and believe politicians are out of touch
“While political polarization has defined much of the past 20 years, our findings suggest something much broader in the data,” Alexander said. “Americans are frustrated with the political system itself and skeptical that elected officials understand their everyday concerns.”
Americans report that anything is better than today’s politics, including the DMV and mosquitoes
“Americans are clearly dissatisfied with the state of politics,” said Alexander. “Perhaps worse, we see that many are conveying an even broader crisis of confidence in democracy itself. It should be a warning sign for the health of our democracy that nearly two-thirds believe that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are in serious jeopardy. Perhaps it is no wonder that most Americans would rather deal with the DMV, a headache, or an early morning alarm than today’s politics.”
Full poll results include:
For the poll, YouGov, an international online research data and analytics technology group, gathered public opinion data through a national web-based poll.
A four-person research team in the BGSU Department of Political Science developed, ordered, tested, and analyzed the questions in the poll.
For more information, visit BGSU.edu/depo.
