Beyond the highly important overall mark (more on that below), the poll suggests Americans may be crediting Obama for a steadily improving economy. Fully 50 percent approve of his handling of the economy, while 46 percent disapprove, the best margin in Post-ABC polls since 2009. And 32 percent now strongly approve of Obama's performance on this issue, a high since 2009 and nearly matching strong disapproval (33 percent), which reached as high as 50 percent in 2012.

AD

AD

Obama's improved ratings come at the end of a long decline in the federal unemployment rate, from 10 percent in 2009 to 5 percent last month, with 2015 the second-best year for hiring since 1999.

Increasing employment has been accompanied by only modest wage growth, perhaps one reason Obama's ratings are still barely in positive territory. Fully 63 percent in the Post-ABC poll said they are very or somewhat worried about being able to maintain their standard of living, little different from 62 percent one year ago and down only slightly from 68 percent in late 2008.

Also aiding Obama are improved marks for handling terrorism. In the wake of November's Islamic State-affiliated attacks in Paris, a record-high 54 percent disapproved of Obama's handling of the threat of terrorism while 40 percent approved, with only slightly better results in December. This month, Obama's terrorism ratings have thawed, with 45 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving of his performance.

AD

AD

Whether Obama's improved standing holds in the coming months is uncertain — one-month improvements sometimes revert — but its trajectory matters a great deal in the outcome of the 2016 election. As political scientist Patrick Egan wrote for The Post's Monkey Cage blog, the president's approval rating is among the strongest predictors of which party will win the White House.

That marks one big reason to pay attention to the lame-duck president as the wild ride of states' primaries and caucuses plays out.