The coronavirus pandemic has boosted the poll ratings of almost every leading democratic leader, according to a Financial Times analysis of polling data from around the world. The approval rating for the leaders of 10 of the biggest democracies has risen on average by nine points. The most recent high water mark for a US president is the 84 per cent net rating enjoyed by George W Bush in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. His standing fell after that, but it took another two years for more Americans to disapprove than approve of the job he was doing. Professor of Politics, Professor Tim Bale said: “The George W Bush example shows that these things last, and they last for quite a long time.”Find out more