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What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls -- Week Ending November 29, 2014

Did Thanksgiving come just in time? After outrage over the expected yet controversial grand jury decision in Ferguson and contention over the president’s executive action on immigration, perhaps Americans needed a day to step back and reflect.

On Monday, the St. Louis County Grand Jury decided not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown back in August. Prior to the decision, most Americans didn’t expect Wilson to be charged with murder, and half said the U.S. Justice Department should not try to charge him for federal crimes related to the Brown shooting.

26% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 23.

For the previous three weeks, this finding held steady at 27%. The number of voters who think the country is on the right course has now ranged from 23% to 27% nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.

(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 November 17-23, 2014. 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.

8% Rate Congress Good or Excellent

Even though they just voted in a new Republican majority, voters still give Congress dismal marks and the majority believe members get reelected because the system is rigged.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just eight percent (8%) of Likely U.S. Voters rate Congress’s performance as good or excellent, unchanged from the last two months. Sixty-four percent (64%) rate their performance as poor, also in line with earlier surveys. (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 November 20-21, 2014 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 39%

Two weeks after they won full control of Congress, Republicans now lead Democrats by four points on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 23 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 39% would choose the Democrat. This is the largest lead the Republicans have held since early August.

35% Say They’ve Been Hurt By Obamacare

A growing number of voters say their health insurance coverage has changed as a result of the new national health care law, and the most in over a year now say that change has been negative.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now say their health insurance coverage has changed because of the law, up one point from last month. That number has been steadily climbing from 25% a year ago when the law made its public debut. (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 November 22-23, 2014 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 November 22

Did someone miss the message on Election Day? Actions this week by President Obama and in the Senate suggest that we can look forward to another two years of hyper-intense partisanship.

The president on Thursday announced his long-anticipated plan – without congressional approval – that will allow nearly five million illegal immigrants to remain in this country legally and apply for jobs. Republican leaders, scheduled to take control of the full Congress in January, had asked Obama to delay the decision, saying it would poison their future relations. Most voters oppose the amnesty plan and think the government is not aggressive enough in deporting illegal immigrants.

38% Rate Obama’s Leadership Positively

For the second time this year, the number of voters who rate President Obama’s leadership positively has reached a three-year low.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the president is doing a good or excellent job. This ties the low first reached in August. Obama's positives have generally run in the mid-40s in regular surveys since he took office. Forty-four percent (44%) of voters think the president is doing a poor job, in line with findings for the past two years. (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 November 18-19, 2014 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.

Pelosi, Reid Are Congress’ Least-Liked Leaders

November has not been Nancy Pelosi’s month. Despite being named the Democratic leader in the House again, she’s facing a Republican-controlled Congress and open opposition from within her own party. Now, Pelosi has edged back ahead of Harry Reid and John Boehner to be the least-liked leader in Congress.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey now finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters have an unfavorable opinion of Pelosi, including 41% with a Very Unfavorable one. Thirty-one percent (31%) view the San Francisco Democrat favorably, with just nine percent (9%) who have a Very Favorable opinion.  (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 November 18-19, 2014 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.

Louisiana Senate Runoff: Cassidy (R) 56%, Landrieu (D) 41%

Rasmussen Reports’ first survey of the Louisiana Senate runoff shows Republican challenger Bill Cassidy comfortably on his way to joining the new GOP Senate majority.

Cassidy posts a 15-point lead – 56% to 41%- over incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu among Likely Louisiana Voters in our latest statewide telephone survey. Just three percent (3%) are undecided. (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 in Louisiana was conducted on November 16-19, 2014 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.

27% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

For the third consecutive week, 27% of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 16.
  
This finding has ranged from 23% to 27% nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.

(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 November 10-16, 2014. 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.

For Voters, Growth Still Tops Fairness When It Comes to the Economy

Voters still believe there is a conflict between economic growth and economic fairness but also continue to feel that economic growth is the more important of the two.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 83% of Likely U.S. Voters rate policies that encourage economic fairness as important, with 55% who say they are Very Important. But that compares to 94% who rate policies that encourage economic growth as important, including 72% who view them as Very Important. Thirteen (13%) say economic policies are not very or Not At All Important, while only four percent (4%) feel that way about policies to encourage economic growth. (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 November 16-17, 2014 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 41%, Democrats 41%

In a survey taken the week after they won full control of Congress, Republicans are now tied with Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 16 finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while the same amount (41%) would choose the Democrat.

44% Support Health Insurance Individual Mandate

More voters are in favor of the government requiring every American to obtain health insurance, but support for a single-payer system has fallen to its lowest level this year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the new health care law’s requirement that every American obtain insurance. Just as many (43%) oppose requiring Americans to have health insurance. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (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 November 14-15, 2014 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 November 15

Obamacare is back in the news, for better or worse.

The U.S. Supreme Court has opted to hear another legal challenge of the health care law, while the Obama administration hopes the glitches in the federal exchange website have been fixed in time for this weekend’s open health insurance enrollment. Meanwhile, several videos have surfaced showing one of the law’s chief architects saying it was deliberately written in a confusing manner so “stupid” voters wouldn’t realize how much the law could end up costing them.

Voters Less Confident in America's Shale Oil Reserves

Most voters continue to believe that development of shale oil reserves will likely end U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but they are not as convinced that the United States has enough reserves to become the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 88% of Likely U.S. Voters think it’s at least somewhat important for the United States to become less dependent on oil imports, with 61% who say it’s Very Important. Just eight percent (8%) say it's not very or Not At All Important for this country to become more energy independent. (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 national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 12-13, 2014 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.

Obama Still Stumbles on Fairness, Deficit Issues

President Obama began the year with a State of the Union address that focused on income inequality, but as the year draws to a close, voters still give the president mediocre marks for the job he's doing in the area of economic fairness.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 38% of Likely U.S. Voters voters think the president is doing a good or excellent job handling issues related to economic fairness. Forty-two percent (42%) rate Obama's performance in this area as poor. There's been little change in these numbers since the beginning of last year. (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 national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 8-9, 2014 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.

27% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 9.
 
The number who say the country is heading in the right direction is unchanged from a week ago. This finding has now been in the 23% to 27% range nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.

(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 November 3-9, 2014. 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 42%, Democrats 41%

In a survey taken the week they won full control of the U.S. Congress, Republicans hold a one-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 9 finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 41% would choose the Democrat.

Terrorists, Not U.S., Winning War on Terror

The number of voters who think the United States is winning the War on Terror continues to fall to new lows, and more than ever they see a terrorist attack as the biggest threat to the nation.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 25% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror, a new all-time low. In July, belief that the United States is winning the War on Terror plummeted eight points to 27%, its lowest level in over 10 years of regular tracking.
 
This figure hit a high of 62% in February 2009 just after President Obama’s inauguration, then steadily deteriorated until the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 when it rebounded into the 50s. Thirty-six percent (36%) think the terrorists are winning that war.  A third (33%) say neither side is winning. (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 April 17-18, 2014 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.

Are Voters A Little Less Unhappy with Obamacare?

Unfavorables for the new national health care law have fallen slightly to their lowest level in over a year, even as voters express less support for outright repeal and more support for tinkering with the law to improve it.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters now have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Obamacare, consistent with surveying since early 2013. Fifty percent (50%) still view the law unfavorably, but that’s down from 53% two weeks ago and the lowest finding since mid-October of last year.

This includes 19% with a Very Favorable view of the law and twice as many (37%) with a Very Unfavorable one. (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 November 8-9, 2014 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.