The Christian Science Monitor

Why good economic numbers aren’t giving Trump a boost in the polls

President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1965. Presidential approval ratings in the modern era tend to track closely with the economy – except when they don't.

Here are some numbers that are good: 4.2, and 3.9. The first is the growth in US Gross Domestic Product for the second quarter of 2018, at an annualized rate. The second is the unemployment rate for August. Both are evidence of a really, really strong economy – though they’re not as historically unique as President Trump sometimes boasts.

Here are some numbers that are bad: 39.8, and 82. The former is the percentage of

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