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46% View Obamacare Favorably, 48% Unfavorably

Voters are almost evenly divided in their views of the national health care law for the first time since the beginning of the year, although just over half still expect it to increase health care costs.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters now have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Obamacare, while only slightly more (48%) view it at least somewhat unfavorably. The passion is still on the side of the opponents, though: The new findings include 19% with a Very Favorable view of the law, while 37% have a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 18-19, 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending October 18, 2013

Americans paint a pretty gloomy picture of the present and the future these days, but the housing market offers a glimmer of hope.

Just 13% of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction. That's down 15 points from two weeks ago and the lowest finding in five years.

Over half (52%) say America’s best days are in the past, the highest level of pessimism since December 2011. 

52% Now Say America's Best Days Are in the Past

Americans are more pessimistic about the nation's future than they have been in over two years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of Likely U.S. Voters think America’s best days are still to come, down from a recent high of 47% last September and the lowest level of optimism since April 2011. Just over half (52%) think the nation’s best days are in the past. That's the highest finding since December 2011. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 14-15, 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.

44% Give Obama Positive Marks on Health Care, 47% Poor

With funding for the new health care law the focus of the government shutdown and the law's health insurance exchanges stumbling into existence, President Obama's positives - and negatives - have jumped when it comes to his handling of the health care issue.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate Obama's performance in this area as good or excellent, up nine points from 35% last month but in line with most previous surveys this year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that slightly more (47%) give the president poor marks for his handling of health care. That's an eight-point increase from September and a high for the year to date. (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 October 12-13, 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 Don’t See Much Bipartisanship in Washington, D.C.

As far as voters are concerned, neither side in Washington, D.C. is much interested in bipartisanship, but Republicans in Congress are the most partisan.

Only 21% of Likely U.S. Voters think Republicans are acting on a bipartisan basis these days, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Sixty-one percent (61%) believe they are acting like partisan Republicans. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 14-15, 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.

Five-year Low: 13% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

The number of U.S. voters who feel the country is heading in the right direction has fallen to the lowest level of the Obama presidency.

Just 13% of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending October 13. That's down from 17% the week before and the lowest finding since the week of October 20-26, 2008, when George W. Bush was still president. 

Confidence in the country's direction has fallen 15 points since the government shutdown began two weeks ago and is down from a high of 43% the week before Election Day last fall.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on October 7-October 13, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Ballot: Democrats 45%, Republicans 38%

As the federal government shutdown continues without an end in sight, Democrats have lost their lead of the last two weeks and are again running even with Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, October 6, shows that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while another 40% would choose the Republican instead.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from October 7-October 13, 2013.

Democrats have jumped to a seven-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot as the government shutdown and the debate over raising the federal debt ceiling drag on. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, October 13, shows that 45% of Likely Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Republican instead.

The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

54% Have Felt No Impact from Obamacare

Most voters still don’t like the new national health care law but also say it has had no impact on them so far.

Forty-seven percent (47%) of Likely U.S. Voters share at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the law, while 52% view it at least somewhat unfavorably, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Overall favorables for the law are the highest of the year. Last week marked the first time in several months that the law’s unfavorables fell below 50%. The newest findings include 20% with a Very Favorable opinion and twice as many (41%) with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 12-13, 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending October 11, 2013

Consumer confidence fell to a new low for the year at week’s end as Washington, D.C. continues to talk and talk and talk. 

44% Think Global Warming Due to Human Activity

Nearly two-out-of-three Likely U.S. Voters (62%) continue to view global warming as a somewhat serious problem, with 30% who consider it a Very Serious one. But this month's findings mark the lowest number of voters who consider global warming a Very Serious problem since April of last year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% still view global warming less seriously, with 18% who say it's Not At All Serious. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 8-9, 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. 

38% Give Obama Positive Marks for Deficit Reduction

Despite the partial government shutdown and the debt ceiling debate, voters give President Obama better marks for his handling of deficit reduction issues, but a plurality still rates his performance in this area as poor.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters give Obama good or excellent ratings for his handling of deficit reduction. That’s up six points from last month and ties the high reached early in the year. Forty-six percent (46%), though, still rate him poorly in this area, down from a high of 50%reached in July. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 8-9, 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.

17% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

With no end in sight to the partial government shutdown, the number of voters who believe the country is heading in the right direction has fallen 11 points over the past week to its lowest level in nearly two years.

Just 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 for the week ending October 6. That's down from 28%the week before and the lowest finding since early December 2011.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on September 30-October 6, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 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: Democrats 40%, Republicans 40%

As the federal government shutdown continues without an end in sight, Democrats have lost their lead of the last two weeks and are again running even with Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, October 6, shows that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while another 40% would choose the Republican instead.

Special offer: A Rasmussen Reader subscription that lasts through December 31, 2014 is now just $24.95. Sign up today!

(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 September 30-October 6, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

45% View Health Care Law Favorably, 49% Unfavorably

Unfavorable reviews of the new national health care law have fallen below 50% for the first time in several months, but voters more strongly than ever support individual choice when it comes to determining how much health insurance someone needs to buy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the health care law, while 49% view it unfavorably. This includes 23% with a Very Favorable opinion and 38% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 4-5, 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending October 4, 2013

The longer the federal government remains partially shut down, the more the partisan blame game escalates. But voters remain conflicted, just as they are about the health care law at the heart of the dispute.

70% Give Congress Poor Rating

It’s hard to believe it could get any worse, but negative reviews for Congress are at their highest level in nearly two years.

Nine percent (9%) of Likely Voters rate the way Congress is doing its job as good or excellent, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Seventy percent (70%) of voters say Congress is doing a poor job. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 2-3, 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.

86% Say It’s Important For Economy to Provide All Chance to Succeed

More voters now support an economic system that provides everyone a chance to succeed, and they generally believe it is fair and helpful for the economy to let those who are successful become very rich.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 86% of Likely U.S. Voters now think it is at least somewhat important for the economic system to provide everybody with an opportunity to succeed, up five points from May and the highest finding yet. Just 10% do not think that is important, the lowest to date. This includes 58% who think it’s Very Important for everyone to have a chance to succeed, and just two percent (2%) who think it’s Not At All Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Special offer: A Rasmussen Reader subscription that lasts through December 31, 2014 is now just $24.95. Sign up today!

(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 September 30-October 1, 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

28% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

For the second week in a row, 28% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction.

The latest finding ties the lowest level of optimism since early August, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending September 29. In late August and the first two weeks of September, 30% felt the U.S. was heading in the right direction. 

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on September 23-29, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

President Obama’s Full-Month Approval Rating Up One in September

When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.

The president’s total job approval inched up a point to 48% in September, his highest rating since May.  Still, that’s down eight points from December’s high of 56%. The president’s ratings for the past four months are more in line with his approval during most of his first term in office.

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34% Rate Obama Good or Excellent on Gun Control

Fewer voters than ever give President Obama positive ratings on gun control-related issues.

Just 34% of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the president’s handling of issues related to gun control as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s down from a high of 45% in April. Forty-two percent (42%) give Obama poor marks for his performance in this area. Since the beginning of the year, his poor rating has ranged from a low of 34% to a high of 46%. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 26-27, 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.