q: why approval?

a: popular support is what makes politics tick.

"If the real power of the presidency is not directly proportional to the most recent Gallup popularity rating, it is not far from it,” public opinion scholar James Stinson surmises. Central to the democratic process is not just the politikos, but the body politic, as well – it is the electorate which determines elections; thus, any leader wants to be popular. The magnitude of their power surely depends upon it.

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