Business

Americans Define Middle Class, Think Politicians Don’t Agree

Candidates across the political spectrum promise to help the middle class by cutting taxes. But most Americans think those candidates don’t even agree on who makes up the middle class, and they don’t believe their promises to cut taxes. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 800 Adults was conducted on April 14-15, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Do You Pay Your Fair Share in Taxes?

Most Americans say they are filing their income taxes on time this year, but over half think they are paying more than they should.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of American Adults believe that, compared to people who make more or less than they do, they pay more than their fair share of taxes. Twenty-three percent (23%) disagree, but just as many (24%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on April 12-13, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Most Will Pay Up - Again - by Tax Day

Most Americans are on schedule to file their income taxes by tomorrow’s deadline, with half expecting a refund.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of American Adults have already filed their income taxes, with 10% more who say they’ll do so by tomorrow. Six percent (6%) plan to seek an extension, while nine percent (9%) are still not sure what they’ll do at this late date. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults nationwide was conducted on April 12-13, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Regular Fast-Food Diners Don't Want to Pay More to Raise Minimum Wage

Fast food giant McDonald’s recently announced it will raise its hourly wage by more than 10% starting this July. But Americans aren’t thrilled about the possibility of paying higher prices for fast food to support those higher salaries.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of American Adults rarely or never eat at fast-food restaurants. Fifty-one percent (51%) eat at such restaurants at least two to three times a month, unchanged from last October. This includes 29% who eat fast food at least once a week. Twenty-two percent (22%) say they eat at a fast-food restaurant every now and then. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on April 2 & 5, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Support Is Still There for Raising the Minimum Wage

Most Americans still support raising the minimum wage, even though just over half don’t know exactly what the minimum wage currently is.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults favor an increase in the minimum wage. Thirty-two percent (32%) are opposed, while 13% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on April 2 & 5, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Most Still Favor Tax Deductions Over Lower Rates

Americans aren't keen on letting go of their tax deductions but still like the idea of everyone paying the same percentage of their income in taxes.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of American Adults think all tax deductions should be eliminated in order to lower tax rates. Fifty-two percent (52%) don’t want to sacrifice deductions for lower tax rates. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure. These attitudes have changed little in annual surveys since April 2009. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on March 23-24, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Americans More Eager to Pay Their Taxes This Year?

Americans are slightly ahead of last year’s pace when it comes to filing their income taxes, perhaps in part because they're even more optimistic they’ll receive a refund. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 23-24, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Just 31% Trust the IRS

The IRS has a PR problem.

It’s bad enough being the tax collector, but 50% of Likely U.S. Voters don’t trust the Internal Revenue Service to fairly enforce tax laws. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% do trust the IRS to enforce the laws fairly, but 19% more are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 22-23, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Voters Still Strongly Oppose IRS’ Obamacare Duties

The head of the Internal Revenue Service acknowledged recently that his agency has fielded less than half of taxpayer telephone calls this year because of its new responsibilities policing Obamacare. But voters still strongly believe the IRS should concentrate on tax collection instead. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 22-23, 2015 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 Think Tax, Spending Cuts Work Best for Economy

Slightly more voters would now vote for a candidate who would raise taxes on the wealthy over one who would oppose all tax increases, but voters still think cutting taxes and spending is the way to go. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on March 16-17, 2015 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.

More Think Middle Class Is Shouldering The Tax Burden

Americans feel more strongly than ever that the middle class pays a larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthy do and continue to overwhelmingly reject the notion that the United States has the world’s best tax system.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of American Adults believe middle-class Americans currently pay a larger share of their income in taxes than wealthy people do. Just 20% think wealthy Americans pay a larger share of their income in taxes. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on February 23-24, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Rasmussen Employment Index Matches Six-Year High

For the most recent results on the Rasmussen Reports Employment Index and other economic data, please click here.

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence rose a point in February to tie the highest level measured in six years.

At 104.2, worker confidence is up from 103.3 in January and matches December’s all-time high. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 in October 2013 but gained steadily after that. After the Wall Street meltdown in the fall of 2008, the index fell dramatically, hitting an all-time low of 57.8 in July 2009.

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The survey of 8,853 working Americans was conducted in February 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

One-in-three Consumers Have Positive View of Economy

Effective March 2, Rasmussen Reports daily economic polling is no longer published on our website. For those interested in continuing to receive this data please call 732.776.9777x205 or send e-mail to beth@rasmussenreports.com.

The Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures consumer confidence on a daily basis, rose a point on Sunday to 107.1. Consumer confidence is even with a week ago, down five points from a month ago and up three points from three months ago.

The Rasmussen Investor Index dropped two points on Sunday to 124.4. Investor confidence is down two points from a week ago, but up two points from a month ago and up four points from three months ago.

Detailed supplemental information, including a daily history and month-by-month trend data, is available for Platinum Members. 

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The Rasmussen Consumer Index and Investor Indexes are derived from nightly telephone surveys of 1,200 adults and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. The baseline for the Index was established at 100.0 in October 2001. Readings above 100.0 indicate that confidence is higher than in the baseline month. Detailed supplemental information is available for Platinum Members. Historical data for the Consumer and Investor indexes as well as attitudes about the economy and personal finances are also available to Platinum Members.

Going to the Dentist or Doing Your Taxes - You Decide

Americans hate filling out tax paperwork, but at least they're not too worried about being audited after the fact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on February 23-24, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Welcome Back To Tax Season

Americans are on pace with last year when it comes to filing their income taxes but are slightly less optimistic that they’ll receive a refund. (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 800 American Adults was conducted on February 23-24, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 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's the Diagnosis for Interest Rates and Debt?

Americans continue to say they are paying higher interest rates than they were a year ago and expect to pay even more a year from now.

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The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on February 17-18, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Will You Be Spending More at the Grocery Store?

Just as beginning-of-the-year confidence in the banking industry has faded, concerns about rising grocery prices have returned to levels seen for the last three years.

(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 and Facebook.

The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on February 17-18, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Bank Trust Tumbles Back Down

Confidence in the nation's banks has fallen back tolevels seen most months for the past three years.

(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 and Facebook.

The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on February 17-18, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

A Home Seller’s Market? Not Quite Yet

Confidence in home ownership as a family investment has hit a year-high, but Americans still have mixed feelings about whether now’s a good time to sell a home.

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The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on February 15-16, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Homeowners Are Making Good on Their Mortgages

Most homeowners are making their mortgage payments on time, but Americans don’t want the government assisting those who can’t.

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The survey of 657 American Homeowners and 800 American Adults was conducted on February 15-16, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.