While President Barack Obama’s job approval rating was highest, by religion, among Muslims, other non-Christians, Jews, and atheists, his highest job disapproval ratings were among Christians and Mormons -- Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian groups such as Evangelicals.
In the survey, conducted January-June 2014, Gallup asked about Obama’s job approval and disapproval, by religion. While 72% of Muslims and 54% of atheists expressed approval, only 44% of Catholics did, and only 37% of Protestant/Other Christian and 18% of Mormon/Latter-day Saints.
As for those Americans who disapprove of Obama’s job performance, 51% are Catholic; 58% are Protestant/Other Christian; and 78% are Mormon/Latter-day Saints.
“The United States remains a predominantly Christian nation, with roughly half of Americans identifying with a Protestant religion and another quarter identifying as Catholics,” said Gallup. “Thus, the opinions of these Christian groups are by far the most influential in determining Obama's overall ratings.”
“The patterns in Obama's job approval by religion have prevailed throughout his presidency, with Muslim, Jewish, and nonreligious Americans giving him higher ratings, and Mormons and Protestants giving him the lowest ratings,” said Gallup. “Catholics have typically been closest to the national average, but slightly