Kerry has been secretary of state since February, maintaining an active presence on the international stage almost from the start. In addition to his high profile in the Syria matter, he has been involved in trying to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and asking China for assistance with North Korea.

Kerry’s approval rating is 81% among Democrats, 55% among independents, and 36% among Republicans. His approval rating among Democrats is nearly identical to Obama’s 80% from the same poll, but Obama’s rating is much lower among independents (38%) and especially Republicans (9%).

Gallup has only infrequently measured job approval of secretaries of state, and did not ask a job approval question for Kerry’s predecessor Hillary Clinton during her term. The data that are available show no clear pattern in how the secretary of state’s approval rating compares with that of the president.