Rasmussen Reports has launched RasmussenMarkets.com to provide enhanced coverage of Election 2008.

RasmussenMarkets.com is a “prediction market” or “futures market” that harnesses competitive passions in a way that becomes a reliable leading indicator of upcoming events. The markets indicate that Hillary Clinton currently has a % chance of winning the Democratic Presidential Nomination and that Rudy Giuliani has a % chance of becoming the GOP standard bearer. Prospects for other candidates as well as the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire Primaries are currently featured on the Rasmussen Markets Summary page.

RasmussenMarkets.com also provides a platform for you to create your own Fantasy Politics competition for your office, club, or blog. Who’s really the best political prophet in your world? With monthly winners and a season-long Election 2008 challenge, everybody in your fantasy league can see where they stand every day by checking out your League’s LeaderBoard. This fun and challenging gaming environment for a passionate community of political prophets and news junkies costs nothing to play. But, it offers plenty of brain teasing stimulation and satisfaction while players compete for personal satisfaction, bragging rights, recognition, and prizes.

You can sign up and start trading now.

RasmussenMarkets.com uses a trading format where traders "buy and sell" candidates, issues, and news futures. It is powered by Intrade.com, the world’s leading real-money prediction market.

For more background on the theory and history of Prediction Markets, please read “Wisdom of Crowds” by James Surowiecki.