Americans in general are more inclined to give Obama a favorable personal rating than they are to approve of the job he is doing. Obama’s favorable and job approval ratings have each improved this year, and his current 53% favorable rating is the highest since late 2013.

The recent increase in how Americans view Obama, and likely also his performance, might have something to do with his attempts to bridge various communities in recent months — such as police and racial minorities; Cuba and the U.S.; and members of Congress from both parties who are pro- and anti-trade.

As he serves out his seventh year in office, Obama’s favorability is higher than it was in his sixth year, when he received a record-low rating after the 2014 midterm elections. Excluding his first year, when his favorable ratings averaged 62%, his favorables have been fairly steady — as have his job approval ratings.