Business

44% Confident in U.S. Banking Industry, 48% Are Not

While confidence in the nation’s banking industry is up from last month, roughly one-in-three Americans are still worried they will lose their money as a result of a bank failure.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of American Adults are at least somewhat confident in the stability of the U.S. banking industry today, including eight percent (8%) who are Very Confident.

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on December 11-12, 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.

Americans Still Believe Private Sector Workers Work Harder, Get Less Than Government Workers

American adults, as they have for years, believe that government workers have it better than those in the private sector.

26% Prefer Government-Managed Economy

One-out-of-four Americans continue to believe the government should manage the U.S. economy. Nearly as many say the government should mind its own business.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 26% of American Adults believe the appropriate role of government is to manage the economy, but 23% say it's better for the government to stay out of economic decisions altogether. However, a plurality(46%) thinks the appropriate role for the government in the economy is to provide programs like unemployment insurance to help people through difficult times.

38% Are Concerned About Safety of Electric Cars

Despite recent concerns about Chevrolet’s electric Volt possibly catching fire in a crash, most Americans aren’t worried about the safety of electric cars but still don’t intend to buy one in the next 10 years.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 38% of American Adults are at least somewhat concerned about the safety of electric cars, with 16% who are Very Concerned. But 56% don’t share that concern, although that includes only 15% who are Not At All Concerned. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on December 5-6, 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.

37% See Increased Government Hiring As Good for Economy, 41% Say Bad

Americans are a bit more evenly divided when it comes to whether the economy benefits from the government hiring more unemployed people. But nearly a third still thinks the government should do nothing for the long-term unemployed.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 37% of Americans think it would be good for the U.S. economy if the government hires more people, up just one point from October but the highest result found in over a year.

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43% Say 99 Weeks of Benefits Increase The Unemployment Problem

Congress is again debating whether to extend the funding that makes possible up to 99 weeks of state and federal unemployment benefits, even as Americans continue to express skepticism about benefits that last that long.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of American Adults believe 99 weeks is too long a period to provide unemployment benefits, while 17% say it’s too short a time. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just one-in-three Americans (33%) think the 99 week-period is about right.

82% Know Someone Out of Work and Looking For A Job

Though the national unemployment rate fell slightly in November, more Americans than ever know someone who is out of work and looking for a job. The number who expect unemployment to be lower a year from now remains at its all-time low.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 82% know someone who is out of work and looking for a job.

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on December 1-2, 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.

35% Say It’s Still Possible for Anyone in America to Get Rich By Working Hard

At a time when many Americans are lashing out at the top 1% income earners, the number of adults who believe it is possible for anyone in America to work hard and get rich is at its highest level in nearly three years. But one-out-of-two still don't share that belief.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 35% say it is still possible for anyone living in America to work hard and get rich, up three points from September and a finding that has ranged from 26% to 34% since January 2009.

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 27-28, 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.

Rasmussen Employment Index Moves to Highest Level Since June

The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures workers’ perceptions of the labor market each month, gained five points in November to reach 76.8. Generally speaking, an increase in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government reports on job creation will be better than the prior month.

71% Say Housing Market Will Take At Least Three Years To Recover

Americans continue to share gloomy assessments of the housing and stock markets, and half continue to believe another 1930s-like Depression is possible in the near future.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of American Adults now believe it will take at least three years for housing prices to recover. That figure includes 20% who think it will take three years and 51% who expect it will take even longer. It matches the most pessimistic assessment in nearly three years.

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 27-28, 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.

Confidence in Short-Term Economic Growth Remains At Record Low

Confidence among adults nationwide that the U.S. economy will be stronger a year from now remains at an all-time low.

47% View Home-Buying As Family’s Best Investment

For the sixth consecutive month, fewer than half of Americans say buying a home is a family’s best investment. An overwhelming majority continues to advise against selling a home in their area.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that just 47% believe buying a home is the best investment a family can make, showing virtually no change from last month. One in three (32%) says home-buying is not a family’s best investment, while 21% are not sure.

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 18-19, 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.

81% Think Agreement on Major Spending Cuts Unlikely Before 2012 Elections

The congressional super committee tasked with finding over a trillion dollars in deficit reduction has given up without an agreement, but then voters expected that all along. In fact, most voters now believe overwhelmingly that President Obama and Republicans in Congress are unlikely to reach any agreement to make major cuts in government spending prior to next year’s elections.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 19-20, 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.

37% Say Their Home Is Worth Less Than What They Owe On It

The number of American homeowners who say they owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth is again at an all-time high.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. homeowners shows that 51% believe their home is worth more than the amount they still owe on their mortgage.

Only 12% Expect Value of Their Home To Increase In Next Year

Confidence in the short- and long-term housing market remains at or near all-time lows.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% of U.S. homeowners now expect the value of their home to go up over the next year.

32% Owe More Money Than Last Year

At a time when confidence in the nation’s banking industry is at an all-time low, the number of Americans who say they owe more money than they did last year ties its all-time high.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 32% owe more money today than they did a year ago.

73% Think Most Bailout Money Went To Those Who Caused Economic Crisis

Americans believe more strongly than ever that most of the government bailout money for the financial industry went to those who caused the economic meltdown and that the government hasn’t tried hard enough to bring Wall Street criminals to justice.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 73% of American Adults now think most of the bailout money went to the people who created the economic crisis.

77% Have Unfavorable Opinion of Freddie Mac, 73% Say Same of Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are seeking billions more in taxpayer money to stay afloat, and Americans have a lower opinion than ever of the government-backed mortgage lenders. Both remain in deep financial trouble after lending to many who couldn’t afford their mortgages, and Americans continue to strongly oppose that policy.

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 16-17, 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.

59% Say Government Bailouts Were Bad For America

More voters than ever look back negatively on the government bailouts of banks, auto companies and insurance companies. They remain divided as to what role they’d like the government to play in the struggling economy.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. voters shows that 59% believe the government bailouts of the auto industry and financial sector were bad for the country.

Voters Want Taxes Simpler but Not Flat

Support is strong for replacing the entire income tax code with something simpler with lower rates. Many believe a reformed tax code would help the economy, but a flat tax is not what most voters want to see.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 77% think it’s at least somewhat important to replace the entire federal tax code with something simpler. Only 17% say it’s not important, while five percent (5%) are not sure. Those figures include 44% who say it’s Very Important and just four percent (4%) who say it’s Not at All Important.

(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 U.S. Likely Voters each were conducted on November 13-14, 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.