# How many countries are happy with their political leadership? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462 "2008-06-27T16:52:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/1 "2008-06-27T16:52:11Z")
Reading the Gordon Brown thread in GD got me thinking, how many countries(democracies) are currently fairly happy with their head politician? Bush has near record low approval, Brown seems deep in the shit too. Sarkozy’s not doing much better, Harper doesn’t seem too popular either. Last I heard Merkle was fairly popular, but I can’t seem a find a good website for current approval polls for most the world. P.S. it’s in GQ not GD for a reason, I am looking for poll numbers, not to start an argument 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/2 "2008-06-27T17:02:07Z")
We had a military coup almost two years ago here in Thailand. There’s so much turmoil right now, including a large ongoing street protest near Government House and parliament, that I keep expecting another one any day now. So not here. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/3 "2008-06-27T19:11:47Z")
General opinion in the UK would be described as “Hostile Apathy” I think. Not here. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/4 "2008-06-27T19:28:16Z")
The last poll that I can find has Stephen Harper’s approval rating at 32%. [Link](http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/428528) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/5 "2008-06-27T22:36:30Z")
Just for perspective, Gallup says, “Americans’ ratings of Congress are almost always lower than their ratings of the sitting president.” > **[Congress' Approval Rating Ties Lowest in Gallup Records](https://news.gallup.com/poll/107242/Congress-Approval-Rating-Ties-Lowest-Gallup-Records.aspx)** > > Approval of Congress has dipped below 20% for only the fourth time in Gallup history, tying the record low of 18%. President Bush’s 29% approval rating is only one point above his personal worst approval scores, recorded in April and earlier in May. Bush approval rating in May - 29% Congress approval rating in May - 18% ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/6 "2008-06-27T23:05:32Z")
Icelands Blue-Red government is hitting a low with 55%. Lowest since they started last year. But they’d get 66% when people are asked which party they’d vote for. So I guess we’re actually not that displeased with them. [Link](http://www.gallup.is/?PageID=762&NewsID=976) in Icelandic. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/7 "2008-06-28T05:35:42Z")
The government in Israel isn’t very popular. Nor is the government in Australia. Googling around, it looks like most governments are not being looked upon too favorably right now. Troubling times, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/8 "2008-06-28T06:00:04Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] The last poll that I can find has Stephen Harper’s approval rating at 32%. [Link](http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/428528) [/QUOTE] That’s not far off the vote total his party got in the election. 32%'s not bad against three or four opponents. Everybody likes to bitch about government. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/9 "2008-06-28T07:21:43Z")
The king of [Bhutan](http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/bhutan/larmer-text) (link to March 2008 National Geographic article with georgeous photo’s) and his rule seems to be universally loved by his subjects. But he, of all rulers, has arranged for himself to be succeeded not by his son (who is just as loved), but by a democracy. The OP also reminds me of this [quote] ([Thoughts on Leadership: How Important is Decision-Making? - change management, trust, managers, workplace, stakeholders](http://www.moyak.com/researcher/resume/papers/var6mkm.html)) by Lao-Tse: > [@](#): > > To lead people, walk beside them . . . > As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. > The next best, the people honor and praise. > The next, the people fear; > and the next, the people hate . . . > > When the best leader’s work is done the people say, > “We did it ourselves!” ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/10 "2008-06-28T07:31:45Z")
Lastly, I suppose most Western countries are fairly content with their leaders. Polls are not so much an indication of how satisfied people are with their leaders; mostly, polls are 1. an indication of how free the pollees are to express themselves, (Mugabe and Kim Whathisname for Korea will probably get raving reviews in their ususla opinion polls, and how much does that say? 2. an indication of how much a leader is held responsible for the nation’s welbeing. T 3.If there is geneally a culture of complaining and bitching about stuff, leaders included. (A culture of complaining is not a bad thing in itself; my own pet theory is that the Dutch have it so good, precisely because of their constant bitching about everything in their own country. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, etcetera) ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/11 "2008-06-28T07:36:14Z")
Russians seem pretty happy with Putin/Medvedev. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/12 "2008-06-28T07:49:13Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] The government in Israel isn’t very popular. Nor is the government in Australia. Googling around, it looks like most governments are not being looked upon too favorably right now. Troubling times, I guess. [/QUOTE] [Actually our government is doing pretty well at the moment](http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23088286-5013871,00.html) Honeymoon period. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/13 "2008-06-28T14:32:09Z")
There was [a recent poll](http://www.newsweek.com/media/68/0805_newsweek_poll.pdf) asking people around the world how much confidence they had in various prominent world leaders. The ones who did best were Putin, Hu, and Ahmedinejad — not exactly the most august group. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/14 "2008-06-29T03:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=Maastricht] The king of [Bhutan](http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/bhutan/larmer-text) (link to March 2008 National Geographic article with georgeous photo’s) and his rule seems to be universally loved by his subjects. But he, of all rulers, has arranged for himself to be succeeded not by his son (who is just as loved), but by a democracy. [/QUOTE] Indeed. I believe the son recently became king when his father stepped down after figuring it was time. The son is just as popular in Thailand. He and his wife are flocked around whenever they visit here. The Bhutanese also recently held an election for prime minister and a parliament at the king’s insistence. The people would have been perfectly happy to continue as is. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-happy-with-their-political-leadership/454462/15 "2008-06-29T03:46:30Z")
Googling “Fukuda approval rating” give a pretty amusing result: The top article (dated February) says “…slips to below 40%” the next (April) says “…has dropped to 29%” Next (early May) has “…has reached 26%” And the most recent one says “…has now slipped to 18%” (That’d be the Japanese Prime Minister, btw)