Judicial Nominations

Survey of 1,000 Adults

April 19-20, 2005

American Judges...
Too Conservative	19%
Too Liberal	31%
In the Middle	40%
RasmussenReports.com

Followed Judicial Nomination Stories
Very Closely	31%
Somewhat Closely	34%
Not Very Closely	24%
Not at All	7%
RasmussenReports.com

Should Every Nominee Receive a Vote?
Yes	45%
No	21%
RasmussenReports.com

Should Senate Rules Be Changed?
Yes	56%
No	26%
RasmussenReports.com

Who do you Trust More on Judicial Nominations?
President Bush	38%
Dems in Senate	44%
RasmussenReports.com

Plurality Says Most Judges in Ideological Center

Declining Support for Filibuster Rule Change

April 22, 2005 --Thirty-one percent (31%) of Americans believe that most of the nation's judges are too liberal, 19% say they are too conservative, and a plurality of 40% say the judges are somewhere in the middle.

Most Republicans (52%) say judges are too liberal. Among Democrats, 24% say most judges are too conservative, 16% say too liberal, and 48% believe they are somewhere in the middle. Demographic details are available for Premium Members.

While the partisan battle over judicial nominations rages in Washington, a Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 31% of Americans are following the story "very closely." Another 34% are following it "somewhat closely." That's little changed from a month ago.

Forty-five percent (45%) of Americans believe that every Presidential nominee should receive an up or down vote on the floor of the Senate. That's down from 50% a month ago.

When asked if Senate rules should be changed to give every nominee a vote, 56% say yes and 26% say no. A month ago, those numbers were 59% and 22% respectively.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Americans say they trust Democrats in the Senate more than President Bush on this issue. Thirty-eight percent (38%) take the opposite view and have more trust in the President.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

Our publications provide real-time information on consumer confidence, investor confidence, employment data, the political situation, and other topics of value and interest. We provide daily updates on the economic confidence of Consumers and Investors. Our consumer data generally identifies trends two to six weeks ahead of traditional consumer confidence measures.

To keep up with our latest releases, be sure to visit the Rasmussen Reports Home Page.