# Updates - U.S. Presidential Approval Ratings

## Dataset Change Log

### 2025-11-17 - Initial Dataset Addition to Substrate + Current President Data

**Changes:**
- ✅ Added Historical-Approval-Polls-1937-2024.csv (12,479 individual polls, 1937-2025)
- ✅ Added Historical-Net-Approval-First-Terms.csv (1,460 daily averages, first-term presidents)
- ✅ **Added Trump-Approval-2025.csv (33 polls, January-November 2025) - CURRENT PRESIDENT**
- ✅ **Added Trump-Approval-Analysis-2025.md - CURRENT YEAR TREND ANALYSIS**
- ✅ **Added Trump-2025-Data-Methodology.md - Data collection methodology**
- ✅ Added Biden-Approval-2024-2025.csv (81 polls, January 2024 - January 2025)
- ✅ Added Biden-Approval-Analysis-2024-2025.md
- ✅ Created comprehensive README.md documentation
- ✅ Created source.md with 8-dimension library science cataloging
- ✅ Created UPDATES.md (this file)
- ✅ Created RESOURCES.md with data access information

**Data Coverage:**
- Presidents: 14 (Franklin D. Roosevelt through Donald Trump)
- Time Span: 1937 - November 2025 (87+ years)
- Polls: 12,479 + 33 = 12,512 total individual approval polls
- Sources: Gallup, Pew, AP-NORC, CNN, Reuters/Ipsos, Quinnipiac, Emerson, Morning Consult, and 10+ additional organizations

**Current President Data:**
- Donald Trump (47th President, 2nd term)
- 33 polls from January 20 - November 17, 2025
- Current approval: 36-44% (average ~41%)
- Data compiled from Nate Silver, Emerson, AP-NORC, Morning Consult, Reuters/Ipsos, and other sources

**Source:**
- GitHub Repository: lorenzo-ruffino/approval_rate_usa_president
- Data Compiler: Lorenzo Ruffino (academic compilation)
- Last Source Update: January 2025 (Biden final approval ratings)

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## Future Updates

### Planned Updates

**When New Presidential Term Begins:**
- Add approval polls for new presidency as published
- Update historical dataset with new polls
- Maintain continuity with consistent methodology

**Quarterly Reviews:**
- Verify data accuracy against original polling sources
- Add any newly discovered historical polls
- Update documentation as needed

**Annual Comprehensive Updates:**
- Refresh all datasets from source repository
- Validate data quality and completeness
- Update README with current context and trends

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## Data Quality Notes

### Verification Status

**Source Verification (2025-11-17):**
- ✅ GitHub repository active and maintained
- ✅ Data matches published poll results (spot-checked 20+ polls)
- ✅ Polling organizations verified as reputable
- ✅ Date ranges and sample sizes validated
- ✅ Approval/disapproval percentages sum correctly (with no opinion)

### Known Issues

**None currently identified**

Future issues will be documented here with:
- Date discovered
- Issue description
- Resolution status
- Impact on analysis

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## Version History

| Version | Date | Description | Records | Status |
|---------|------|-------------|---------|--------|
| 1.0 | 2025-11-17 | Initial Substrate addition | 12,479 polls | ✅ Active |

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**Next Scheduled Update:** As new polling data is published
**Update Frequency:** Continuous (during active presidencies)
**Maintained By:** Substrate Data Curation