Partisan Divide Colors Obama's Place In History

The president's place in history is anchored by passage of the Affordable Care Act, which 35 percent of survey respondents cite as his most memorable accomplishment. That's a tenuous legacy, though, as President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Congress have vowed to repeal the law, which extends health insurance to more than 20 million Americans.

An additional 17 percent of respondents say Obama will be most remembered as the first African-American president, while 7 percent point to his efforts to boost the economy. Only 9 percent of those polled say Obama will be most remembered for his foreign policy.

Historical assessments of a president's record often change with the passage of time. But at this point, Obama is viewed as outstanding or above-average by more Americans (45 percent) than Bill Clinton (42 percent), George H.W. Bush (36 percent) and George W. Bush (11 percent) were at the end of their time in office. Reagan had the highest rating among modern presidents — he was viewed as outstanding or above-average by 59 percent.