Obama Approval Rating Poll: President's Numbers On The Rise After State Of The Union

President Barack Obama is now more popular than he's been in months. More Americans approve of the president’s job than disapprove for the first time since May 2013, according to Gallup’s latest daily tracking poll. The Gallup poll mirrors an ABC News survey released last week that showed Obama’s approval rating at 50 percent -- the highest it’s been in that poll in 18 months.

The Gallup poll showed Obama at 50 percent approval, while 45 percent disapproved. The Washington Post/ABC News poll from last week found slightly lower disapproval of Obama, at 44 percent. Gallup’s poll is based on a three-day rolling average, with the most recent being Jan. 23-25.

The improvement in Obama’s approval rating is coinciding with Americans’ confidence in the economy, according to Gallup. In December, Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index went into positive territory for the first time in seven years -- before Obama took office. “Americans' ratings of Obama appear to be catching up with their improved economic views,” Gallup stated.

Obama’s State of the Union address last week may have also contributed to the increase in the president’s approval rating. In his speech, Obama said the unemployment rate was the lowest it had been since before the recession and pushed for policies favorable to the middle class, such as free community college and tax credits.

“The president's Jan. 20 State of the Union address may have helped him reframe the national discussion on terms more favorable to him -- namely, the economy,” according to Gallup. “Although presidents rarely get much of a bounce from their State of the Union speeches, this year's address afforded Obama the opportunity to tout good economic news that some Americans may not have already known about, or at least allowed him to convince viewers that he deserved more of the credit.”