A recent CBS/New York Times poll shows that President Bush has the lowest approval rating at the start of a second term since Richard Nixon. Bush’s 49 percent approval is below Nixon’s 51 percent rating in January in 1973.

The poll also indicates that the majority of Americans do not believe the economy will improve or that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq before the end of Mr. Bush’s second term. Roughly two-thirds of Americans believe that Bush’s second term will leave the country even deeper in the hole with a larger deficit. Most of those surveyed said that they do not expect Bush to improve on health care, education, or the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly.

A BBC poll conducted in 21 countries found that 58 percent of respondents expect Bush to have a negative impact on peace and security. Only 26% believe he will be a positive force. The survey has found that a dislike for Bush has translated into a dislike of Americans.