Americans Split on Obama's Performance, Disapprove of Congress

A recent poll suggests that Americans have a divided opinion of President Barack Obama's job performance that is largely contingent on the respondent's political affiliation.

According to the results of the latest CBS News/New York Times poll, 46 percent of respondents approved of the president while 47 percent disapproved, which is pretty much in line with the rating he received in January 2014 and January 2015. When broken down by party, the survey revealed that 81 percent of Democrats approved of Obama's job performance, while 86 percent of Republicans said they disapproved.

When asked if Obama's presidency met their expectations, 52 percent of respondents said his office has been about what they had anticipated, while 31 percent said it has been worse and only 15 percent said it had been better than expected.

The poll, which was conducted from Jan. 7 to Jan. 10, also reveals that most of those surveyed expressed disapproval of the way the president has handled important issues. Only 34 percent approved of his handling of foreign policy compared to 52 percent who disapproved; 45 percent approved of the way he's handled the economy while 49 disapproved; and 37 percent approved of his handling of immigration, compared to 55 percent who disapproved.

An overwhelming number of Americans also said they disapproved of the Republican-controlled Congress. Just 15 percent approved of the job Congress is doing, while a whopping 75 percent disapproved. The anger directed toward Washington is also high among voters in both parties: 78 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans said they disapproved of Congress.

Obama's tenure, however, has helped a small percentage of Americans develop a more optimistic view of the direction of the country. In October 2008, just weeks before he was elected, only 7 percent of Americans said the country was headed in the right direction, marking an all-time low in recorded history, according to CBS News Polls. In the latest numbers, 27 percent thought the country was headed in the right direction, while 75 percent said it was not.