Editing Ronald Reagan (section)

===Approval ratings===
Similar to previous presidents, Reagan began his presidency with [[approval rating]]s greater than 50 percent,<ref>Nyhan, David (February 15, 1981). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-and-sun-bulletin-reagans-glow-may/159763829/ Reagan's glow may reflect hostage return]. ''[[Press and Sun-Bulletin]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winnipeg-sun-voters-already-loosing/159764005/ Voters already losing the faith]. ''[[Winnipeg Sun]]''. March 20, 1981. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> peaking above 70 percent shortly after [[Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan|his attempted assassination]],<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-reagans-popularity-ris/159764685/ Reagan's popularity rises to 73 per cent]. [[The Washington Post]]. ''[[The Miami Herald]]''. April 3, 1981. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref><ref>Gallup, George (April 27, 1981). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury-president-earns-approval/159764288/ President earns approval]. [[Gallup Organization]]. ''[[The Manhattan Mercury]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> before declining by the end of his first year.<ref name="g5ugg5">[https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-angelo-standard-times-reagans-ratin/159701250/ Reagan's rating rises, Gallup says]. [[United Press International]]. ''[[San Angelo Standard-Times]]''. March 18, 1983. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> Afterwards, his ratings fluctuated in the mid-30s and mid-40s in his second and third years,<ref name="g5ugg5"/><ref>Gallup, George (October 10, 1982). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-more-disapprove-than/159764954/ More Disapprove Than Approve Reagan's Performance of Job]. [[Gallup Organization]]. ''[[The Daily Oklahoman]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> which has been attributed to the [[Early 1980s recession in the United States|1981–1982 recession]].<ref name="g5ugg5"/> His approval ratings rebounded after the [[invasion of Grenada]]<ref>Gallup, George (November 20, 1983). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-foreign-events-bring/159700572/ Foreign Events Bring Reagan More Support]. ''[[The Daily Oklahoman]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref><ref>Butters, Brian (November 10, 1983). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-us-public-backs-reagan/159765277/ U.S. public backs Reagan, poll shows]. ''[[Calgary Herald]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref><ref>Gallup, George (November 21, 1983). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item-reagan-picks-up-moderate/159765453/ Reagan picks up moderate gains]. [[Gallup Organization]]. ''[[The Daily Item (Sunbury)|The Daily Item]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> and by mid-1984 his approval rating neared 60 percent.<ref>Friedman, Saul (June 10, 1984). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian-reagan-landslide-po/159765671/ Reagan landslide possible]. ''[[The Oregonian]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> In the first two years of his second term, his approval ratings were consistently above 60 percent<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-reagans-61-percent-approva/159765826/ Reagan's 61 percent approval rating continues to exceed predecessors]. ''[[Minnesota Star Tribune]]''. September 4, 1986. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> but declined during the Iran–Contra scandal,<ref>Campbell, Don (December 14, 1986). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/pacific-daily-news-living-and-dying-by-p/159766292/ Living and dying by public opinion]. ''[[Pacific Daily News]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref> before beginning to recover in mid-1987.<ref>Gallup, George Jr. (June 25, 1987). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item-reagans-job-performance/159766566/ Reagan's job performance rating improves slightly]. ''[[The Daily Item (Sunbury)|The Daily Item]]''. Retireved November 25, 2024.</ref> In the [[Gallup poll]], Reagan finished his presidency with an approval rating of 63 percent, the third highest for a departing president in history, behind only [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[Bill Clinton]], both of whom finished at 66 percent.<ref>Gallup, George; Gallup, Alec (January 12, 1989). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item-reagan-gets-highest-final/159761851/ Reagan gets highest final approval rating since FDR]. ''[[The Daily Item (Sunbury)|The Daily Item]]''. Retrieved November 25, 2024.</ref><ref>Brandus, Paul (January 18, 2017). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/18/presidents-obama-approval-gallup-history-paul-brandus-column/96621934/ The truth about Obama's approval rating]. ''[[USA Today]]''. Retrieved November 30, 2024.</ref>

In 1990, a year after he left office, a Gallup survey found that 54 percent of Americans said they approved of the overall job Reagan did as president.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-standard-jfk-tops-presidents-l/156388619/ JFK Tops Presidents' List]. ''[[The Post-Standard]]''. December 5, 1990. Retrieved December 2, 2024.</ref> The number of Americans who approved of the Reagan administration declined to 48 percent in 1992<ref>Hugick, Larry (August 18, 1992). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-standard-bushs-approval-rating/160185838/ Bush's Approval Rating Up]. ''[[The Post-Standard]]''. Retrieved December 2, 2024.</ref> but rebounded two years later to 52 percent.<ref>Mercer, Marsha (May 1, 1994). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-even-in-death-r/160318302/ Even in death, Richard Nixon continued to surprise us]. ''[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]''. Retrieved December 4, 2024.</ref> In recent years, favorability of Reagan's presidency reached its highest ever: 71 percent approval in 2006;<ref name="vr33v55">[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-retrospective-approval/160183598/ Retrospective approval ratings of past presidents, June 2006 poll]. [[Gallup Organization]]. ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. December 30, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2024.</ref> 74 percent in 2010;<ref>Saad, Lydia (December 6, 2010). [https://news.gallup.com/poll/145064/kennedy-highest-rated-modern-president-nixon-lowest.aspx Kennedy Still Highest-Rated Modern President, Nixon Lowest]. [[Gallup Organization]]. Retrieved December 4, 2024.</ref> 72 percent in 2018;<ref>{{cite news |date =February 15, 2018 |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/226994/obama-first-retrospective-job-approval-rating.aspx |title = Obama's First Retrospective Job Approval Rating Is 63% |work = [[Gallup Inc.]] |last = Jones |first = Jeffrey M.| access-date = July 31, 2023 }}</ref> and 69 percent in 2023.<ref name="uiwv3">Jones, Jeffrey M. (July 17, 2023). [https://news.gallup.com/poll/508625/retrospective-approval-jfk-rises-trump.aspx Retrospective Approval of JFK Rises to 90%; Trump at 46%]. ''[[Gallup Organization]]''. Retrieved December 2, 2024.</ref> He is often found to be second-most popular president since [[World War II]], with only [[John F. Kennedy]] having higher ratings.<ref name="vr33v55"/><ref name="uiwv3"/>