Category » Politics

With growing questions about Benghazi and actions taken by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department, Democrats' noticeable edge over Republicans in voter trust in the area of government ethics and corruption has disappeared. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now trust Republicans more to handle the ethics and corruption issue. Nearly as many (37%) still trust Democrats more. Twenty-four percent (24%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 15-16 & 19-20, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Over half of voters think there’s a chance at least one of the major controversies now bedeviling the Obama administration will still be around a year from now. They see the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative political groups and the questions surrounding Benghazi as the most likely to linger.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that at least one of the major controversies now in the news will still be a major news story in a year. Forty percent (40%) consider that unlikely. This includes 22% who say at least one of the controversies is Very Likely to still be in the news versus just eight percent (8%) who think it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 19-20, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Obama's job performance. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove.

Today’s figures include 26% who Strongly Approve of the way Obama is performing as president and 40% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -14 (see trends).

This is only the third day in the past six months that Strong Disapproval of the president has reached 40%. The other two days were May 2 and 3.

Results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update).

Republicans have edged ahead of Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending May 19.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from May 13-19, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The Obama administration is wrestling with several high-profile controversies these days, but voter concern about events surrounding the death last year of the U.S. ambassador in Benghazi, Libya remains little changed.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of Likely U.S. Voters still think it is at least somewhat important to find out what happened in the events surrounding the death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. This includes 55% who say it is Very Important. Only 13% feel it’s not very or Not At All Important to get to the bottom of the events last September in Benghazi. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 17-18, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Just over half of U.S. voters continue to view President Obama’s health care law unfavorably, and most remain adamant that consumers should have choices when it comes to how much health care coverage they want to pay for. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the health care law, while 51% view it unfavorably. This includes 18% who view the law Very Favorably and 38% with a Very Unfavorable opinion of it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).    Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 17-18, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 

The U.S. Justice Department's secret seizure of telephone records from the Associated Press has been drawing major headlines for several days. Voters have mixed feelings about the story, but 52% of Likely U.S. Voters think the media reacts more quickly to things that affect news organizations, reporters and their friends. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% disagree and don't see media self-interest in their news choices. Twenty-five percent (25%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a  free daily e-mail update ? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on May 15-16, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Another day, another controversy? It must have seemed that way lately to the Obama administration, but will it matter? Voters are sending mixed signals so far.

Voters now give the edge to state governments over the federal government when asked who should be responsible for gun ownership laws. 

Thirty-six percent (36%) think state governments should set those laws, while 34% believe the feds should have that responsibility, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Seventeen percent (17%) feel gun laws should be up to local governments. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 13-14, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters are closely divided over whether the U.S. Justice Department’s secret seizure of telephone records from the Associated Press was an effort to protect national security or an attempt to bully the media.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% think the Justice Department’s actions were chiefly an effort to intimidate the media. But nearly as many (38%) think Justice was primarily acting out of a concern for national security. Twenty percent (20%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 15-16, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.