Toplines - Texas - March 2, 2009

Texas Survey of 500 Likely Voters

Conducted March 2, 2009

By Rasmussen Reports

1* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President-Elect… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

37% Strongly approve

13% Somewhat approve

9% Somewhat disapprove

40% Strongly disapprove

1% Not sure

2* How would you rate the job Rick Perry has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

14% Strongly approve

44% Somewhat approve

20% Somewhat disapprove

21% Strongly disapprove

2% Not sure

3* Governor Rick Perry's is opposed to taking federal stimulus money that would expand state unemployment benefit coverage. Do you agree or disagree with Governor Perry’s opposition to taking federal stimulus money?

47% Agree
40% Disagree
13% Not sure

4* Where is the economic stimulus money needed the most….education, healthcare, unemployment benefits or transportation?

25% Education

30% Healthcare

12% Unemployment benefits

14% Transportation

19% Not sure

5* Should the historic Texas Governor’s Mansion be repaired or should they just tear it down and build a new one?

65% Should be repaired

14% Should tear it down and build a new one

22% Not sure

6* Should funds for repairing the fire damage to the historic Texas Governor's Mansion come from taxes, private donations, or a public/private partnership?

6% Taxes

42% Private donation

44% Public/private partnership

8% Not sure

7* To help the state deal with the current economic crisis, should Texas legalize casino gambling?

48% Yes
45% No

7% Not sure

8* Schools and parents have been warning students not to spend Spring Break in Mexico because of widespread violence along the U. S. border. Are they overreacting or should students avoid going to Mexico for Spring Break?

11% They are overreacting

85% Students should avoid going to Mexico for Spring Break

4% Not sure

9* Will the stimulus bill help the economy, hurt the economy, or have little impact on the economy?

33% Help
43% Hurt
15% No impact

9% Not sure

10* If your representative in Congress voted for the stimulus plan, would that make more likely to vote for your representative, less likely to vote for your representative, or would it have no impact on your vote?

28% More likely
46% Less likely

23% No impact

2% Not sure

11* How likely is it that the final economic recovery plan passed by Congress will make things worse instead of better?

41% Very likely

20% Somewhat likely

22% Not very likely

9% Not at all likely

8% Not sure

12* Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: No matter how bad things are, Congress can always find a way to make them worse?

63% Agree
22% Disagree
15% Not sure

13* Generally speaking, which is better, a free market economy or an economy managed by the government?

80% Free market economy
12% Economy managed by the government
7% Not sure

14* Do you agree or disagree with this statement - “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem”?

69% Agree
22% Disagree
9% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence