Reagan popularity drops in news magazine poll

President Reagan's overall approval rating dropped by 7 points to 45 percent from January to March and most Americans surveyed said the President should be ready to compromise more on his economic program, a just-released Newsweek poll shows.

The poll showed a big upturn in the number of Americans who felt defense spending should be trimmed and a big rise in those who said they would be willing to postpone tax cuts in return for a lower budget deficit, Newsweek said.

The Gallup Organization conducted the telephone poll, interviewing 766 adult Americans.