Gallup ends presidential approval ratings after nearly 90 years

Gallup has ended its long-standing practice of tracking and publishing presidential approval ratings, bringing to a close nearly 90 years of leadership in this area of public opinion research.

The polling firm confirmed to PEOPLE that it stopped releasing approval and favorability ratings of political figures earlier this year. In a statement, the company said the move “reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership.”

“This change is part of a broader, ongoing effort to align all of Gallup’s public work with its mission," a spokesperson for the agency said. "We look forward to continuing to offer independent research that adheres to the highest standards of social science.”

Gallup’s origins date back to 1935, when Dr. George Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion, according to the organisation’s website. The firm was later renamed in his honour.

From its early years, Gallup emphasised independence and methodological rigour. In order to preserve objectivity, the company declined to conduct polling sponsored by “special-interest groups such as the Republican and Democratic parties."

Gallup gained national prominence in 1936 when its polling correctly forecast that Franklin D. Roosevelt would defeat Alfred Landon in the US presidential election, defying the prediction of the era’s most prominent polling publication, The Literary Digest.

In 1938, the organization introduced what would become one of its most influential measures: the presidential approval rating. The metric quickly emerged as a benchmark for assessing public opinion regarding a president’s job performance and became a staple of American political analysis.

Addressing the company’s future direction, a spokesperson told PEOPLE: "Our commitment is to long-term, methodologically sound research on issues and conditions that shape people’s lives. That work will continue through the Gallup Poll Social Series, the Gallup Quarterly Business Review, the World Poll, and our portfolio of US and global research."

By Tamilla Hasanova