US President Barack Obama's approval rating hits its highest point in more than seven years

WASHINGTON - Even as he prepares to leave office a little more than a month from now, US President Barack Obama's approval rating has risen to its highest point since the middle of 2009.

The latest Allstate/Atlantic Media Heartland Monitor Poll found that 56 per cent of adults in the United States said they approved of Obama's job performance. That is up five percentage points since June 2016 and at its highest point since the survey released in July 2009.

Further bolstering his popularity is the fact that 37 per cent of adult Americans said they strongly approved of Obama's performance. The Atlantic reported that he has exceeded that measure only in the first Heartland poll taken back in April 2009.

The Heartland Monitor Poll, the 27th in a series, surveys how Americans are adapting to the changing economy. The latest poll looked at reactions to the 2016 election and the priorities of Americans and their expectations for the new administration and Congress.

The survey of 1,000 adults by landline and cell phones was conducted from from November 16 to November 21, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The Atlantic said its poll revealed that Obama's approval rating touched second-term peaks across a broad spectrum of Americans. It showed 90 per cent Democrats approved of his performance. That was his best showing since November 2012.

In other groups, 54 per cent of Independents, the highest since May 2011, 77 per cent among of non-whites, the best since November 2012; and 46 per cent of all white, the most since July 2009m as well as 41 per cent of whites without a college degree (many of whom voted for Republican President-elect Donald Trump - approved of Obama's performance).

Even 17 per cent of Republicans gave a nod of approval for the outgoing US president. That was his highest since May 2011.