Mood of America Archive

27% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction , according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 15.

This finding is down two points from 29% the previous three weeks and is at its lowest point since mid-January.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports April 9-15, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

35% Say America's Best Days Are in the Future

Just over one-third (35%) of Likely U.S. Voters now think America's best days are in the future, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Fifty percent (50%) believe America’s best days are in the past, the highest finding since early December. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 12-13, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 46%, Democrats 36%

Republicans, as they have for nearly three years now, continue to lead Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot, this time for the week ending Sunday, April 15. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 36% would choose the Democrat instead. This is the largest gap between the two parties since the beginning of 2011. It also doubles the gap found a week ago when the Republican led by five points, 45% to 40%.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from April 9-15, 2012. 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.

Boehner Is Most Liked Congressional Leader, Pelosi Still Least-Liked

The current speaker of the House is the most-liked congressional leader, but he's even more disliked. However, his predecessor, who hasn't been in charge of the House for well over a year, remains the least-liked leader by far.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of House Speaker John Boehner, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  But 42% have an unfavorable view of the Ohio Republican, although that's  down from last month’s all-time high of 50%. The new findings include 10% with a Very Favorable opinion of Boehner and 22% with a Very Unfavorable opinion. Twenty percent (20%) offer no opinion of him. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

For the third week in a row, 29% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction. The latest finding is from a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 8, and remains down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.

When President Obama assumed office in January 2009, voter optimism rose to 27%, then climbed into the 30s, peaking at 40% in early May of that year. In 2010, confidence steadily decreased.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports April 2-8, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 40%

Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, April 8. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead. A week ago, the Republican led by six points, 45% to 39%.

(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 April 2-8, 2012. 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.

Supreme Court’s Ratings Jump Following Health Care Hearings

Just before the highly publicized hearing on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law, ratings for the U.S. Supreme Court had fallen to the lowest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports. Now, following the hearings, approval of the court is way up.

Forty-one percent (41%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the Supreme Court’s performance as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s up 13 points from 28% in mid-March and is the court’s highest ratings in two-and-a-half years.

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This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 6-7, 2012 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.

53% Say Obama is Governing Like a Partisan Democrat

Since just months after his inauguration, voters have consistently felt more strongly that President Obama is governing like a partisan Democrat than in a bipartisan manner.

Now, 53% feel that way, the highest finding since early December 2010. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters disagree and think he is governing on a bipartisan basis. The latter figure is unchanged from last month which marked the lowest finding in a year. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 2-3, 2012 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.

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 1.

The latest finding is unchanged from a week ago and down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports March 26-April 1, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

6% Rate Congress’ Job Performance As Good or Excellent

Positive ratings for Congress are back in the single digits where they have been for the past year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that six percent (6%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate Congress’ performance as good or excellent.  Sixty-eight percent (68%) think Congress is doing a poor job.  (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 March 29-30, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 39%

Republicans hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, April 1. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% 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. The week before, the Republican led by five points, 43% to 38%.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from March 26-April 1, 2012. 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.

Partisan Trends: Republicans 36.4% Democrats 33.4%

The number of Democrats in the United States rebounded in March after falling to a record low in February. However, for the fourth consecutive month, more people consider themselves Republicans than Democrats.

During March, 36.4% of Americans considered themselves Republicans while 33.4% were Democrats. For the GOP, that’s a gain of 0.4% from a month ago. Democrats gained a full percentage point from February.

Rasmussen Reports tracks this information based on telephone interviews with approximately 15,000 adults per month and has been doing so since November 2002. The margin of error for the full sample is less than one percentage point, with a 95% level of confidence.

49% Trust Republicans on Economy, 38% Trust Democrats More

As they have for nearly three years now, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats when it comes to handling the economy, by far  the top issue on a list of 10 regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. They put slightly more trust in Democrats on health care, the second most important issue. 

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Likely U.S. Voters now trust the GOP with economic issues, while 38% trust the Democrats more. That's the highest level of confidence in the Republicans since last October. In January, Republicans held a 47% to 40% edge on the economy. They've been trusted more than Democrats on this issue since early June 2009. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Two national surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on March 25-26 & 27-28, 2012 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.

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, March 25.

The latest finding is down two points from the previous survey and down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports March 19-25, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 38%

Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, March 25. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Democrat instead. Last week, the Republican led by four points, 44% to 40%.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from March 19-25, 2012. 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.

50% Say U. S., Allies Winning War on Terror

Voters tend to believe as they have since the killing of Osama bin Laden last May that the United States and its allies are winning the war on terror. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the terrorists are winning, while 27% say neither side is ahead. But 50% of voters believe America and its allies are winning the war on terror.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 21-22, 2012 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.

31% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-one percent (31%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, March 18.

The latest finding is down a point from the previous survey and down three points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports March 12-18, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 40%

Republicans hold a four-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, March 18. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead. Last week, the Republican led by six points, 44% to 38%.

(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 March 12-18, 2012. 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.

41% Say America’s Best Days In Future

As economic confidence improves somewhat, the number of voters who feel the nation’s best days lie ahead is at its highest level in over two years of regular tracking.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters think America’s best days are in the future, the highest level of optimism since late January 2010.  Slightly more (43%) still feel the nation’s best days are in the past, but that’s the lowest finding since the beginning of 2010 as well. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 11-12, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

New Low: 28% Give Supreme Court Positive Ratings

Even before the U.S. Supreme Court begins hearings later this month on the constitutionality of the national health care law, fewer voters than ever view the high court positively.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 28% give the Supreme Court good or excellent ratings. Nineteen percent (19%) rate the highest court in the land as poor. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 13-14, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points ith a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.