Mood of America Archive

18% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Eighteen percent (18%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, October 2.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 38%

Republicans have jumped back to a six-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, October 2.  This is the widest gap between the two parties in a month of weekly tracking.

Parity: 33.9% of Americans are Republicans, 33.7% Democrats

The number of Republicans and Democrats in the country is just about even. In fact, the gap between the parties is the smallest it has ever been in nearly nine years of monthly tracking.

During the month of September, 33.9% of Americans considered themselves to be Republicans while 33.7% consider themselves Democrats. For both parties, those numbers are up less than a single percentage point from August.  As a result, the number of voters not affiliated with either party fell from an all time high of 33.5% in August back to 32.4% in September.

Only 35% Believe America’s Best Days Are Still to Come

Voters continue to be pessimistic about America’s future. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 35% of Likely U.S. Voters think America’s best days are in the future, while a plurality (47%) says the country's best days are in the past.  Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.

Pelosi, Reid Still Least Favorable Congressional Leaders

Voters continue to dislike the top leaders in Congress which is one reason support for term limits remains high.  Voters still express more dissatisfaction with the Democratic leaders than their GOP counterparts.

17% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Seventeen percent (17%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, September 25.

Only 9% Give Congress Positive Marks

Ratings for Congress are up slightly from the record lows of the past two months, but most voters still think it's doing a poor job. They're also a bit less convinced that most members of Congress are corrupt.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 42%, Democrats 40%

Republicans hold just a two-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, September 25.  That is the highest level of support for Democrats in nearly three months and ties the narrowest margin between the two parties in the last two years.

33% Give Supreme Court Positive Ratings

While voters continue to give the U.S. Supreme Court’s job performance lukewarm reviews, they are a bit less likely to say the justices are too politically liberal.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 33% say the Supreme Court is doing a good or excellent job, with only three percent (3%) who give the high court an excellent grade. Nineteen percent (19%) give the Supreme Court a poor rating. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
 

Positive ratings for the high court are only slightly below results found in June, but are just three points above the all-time low of 30% measured in late March. The court's good/excellent ratings have generally run in the mid-to upper 30s in surveying since November 2006.

Now, 30% of voters believe the Supreme Court is too politically liberal, down just a point from June but the lowest finding since the question was first posed in July 2009. Twenty-seven percent (27%) believe the high court is too politically conservative, which ties the highest level in two years. Another 27% say the court’s ideology is about right, a finding that has ranged from 27% to 42%. Fifteen percent (15%) more are undecided.

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 20-21, 2011 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 Trust Republicans More Than Democrats on Economy

Republicans are still trusted more than Democrats to handle the number one issue on voters’ minds, the economy. But the parties are now essentially tied on six out of ten important issues.

19% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Nineteen percent (19%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, September 18.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 42%, Democrats 39%

Republicans hold just a three-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, September 18.  That’s the narrowest margin between the two parties since the first week in August.

17% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Seventeen percent (17%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, September 11.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 38%

Republicans post a five-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, September 11. The GOP has led on the ballot every week since June 2009.

Voters See Congressional GOP as More Partisan Than Democrats

Most voters continue to lack confidence in members of Congress reaching across the political aisle, but they feel Democrats are doing a better job at bipartisanship than Republicans are.

50% Say U.S. Safer Today Than Before 9/11

One-out-of-two voters are confident that America is safer today than it was before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

18% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Eighteen percent (18%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, September 4. 

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 37%

Republicans post a seven-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, September 4. The GOP has led on the ballot every week since June 2009.

59% Don't Like Pelosi, 41% Say Same of Boehner

Congress will return from its August recess next Tuesday, and its top leaders will come back just as disliked as when they left.

Just 34% Say America’s Best Days in the Future

Voters continue to have little faith in the future of America.