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WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republicans are enjoying their most favorable rating in five years as they prepare to take full control of Congress in January, according to a new nationwide survey.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's approval rating has hit a five-year low in the Bloomberg Politics poll.
While the survey still shows Republicans underwater with the nation, it's by a slim margin. Forty-seven percent of respondents view Republicans unfavorably, while another 45 percent view them favorably.
The Democratic Party, meanwhile, is viewed unfavorably by 50 percent of respondents, and favorably by only 41 percent.
In contrast, Obama is seen unfavorably by 51 percent of Americans, while he's seen favorably by only 45 percent. And 52 percent of Americans disapprove of his job performance, while only 39 percent approve.
A majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of a spate of key issues, ranging from the economy to foreign policy, but he gets his lowest approval ratings for his handling of the budget deficit and his negotiating with the GOP majority in the House.
Related:
GOP's midterm rout shapes 2016 presidential race
The 2016 presidential race was about the new Republican-controlled Congress even before the polls closed Tuesday night.And 53 percent of respondents say race relations have gotten worse under Obama.
The poll also shows a full 60 percent of respondents disagree with the grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer who killed an African American man by choke-hold during his arrest for illegally selling cigarettes.
However, Americans are far more divided over the grand jury's decision in Ferguson, Mo. not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black teen who was suspected of stealing from a convenience store, with 52 percent agreeing with that decision.
The survey was conducted among 1,001 adults nationwide from Dec. 3-5 through live interviews via landline and cell phones, and has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.
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