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General Politics

Most Recent Releases

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March 3, 2009

32% Say Local Crime Is Up in The Past Year, Most Blame The Economy

Nearly one-third of Americans (32%) say crime has increased in their communities in the past year, and 72% of those impacted say it is Very Likely that increase is related to the poor economy.

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March 2, 2009

40% Say Give Washington, D.C. to Maryland

Congress is poised to give the vote to Washington, D.C.’s representative in the House of Representatives, but 40% of U.S. voters say it’s a better idea to give the city’s residential areas back to Maryland so they can be represented by legislators from that state.

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February 27, 2009

73% Trust Judgment of People More Than Politicians

When it comes to important national issues, 73% of adults nationwide trust the judgment of the American people more than that of America’s political leaders.

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February 26, 2009

59% Still Believe Government Is the Problem

In early October, as the meltdown of the financial industry gained momentum following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 59% of U.S. voters agreed with Ronald Reagan that “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

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February 24, 2009

41% Say Affirmative Action No Longer Relevant

Americans are closely divided over the need for continued affirmative action programs now the country has elected its first African-American president.

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February 20, 2009

Pelosi Viewed Favorably by 35%, Tops Among Congressional Leaders

Thirty-five percent (35%) of U.S. voters have a favorable opinion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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February 15, 2009

47% Oppose Fairness Doctrine, But 51% Think Congress Likely To Bring It Back

Just 38% of U.S. voters think that the government should require all radio stations to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary.

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February 11, 2009

67% Say They Could Do A Better Job On The Economy Than Congress

When it comes to the nation’s economic issues, 67% of U.S. voters have more confidence in their own judgment than they do in the average member of Congress.

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February 9, 2009

Most Say Political Donors Get More Than Their Money’s Worth

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of American adults say political donors get more than their money back in terms of favors from members of Congress.

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February 9, 2009

Americans Agree Congress Doesn't Play By The Rules

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of American adults believe that when members of Congress meet with regulators and other government officials, they do so to help their friends and hurt their political opponents. In a solid display of agreement across party lines, a majority of Democrats, Republicans and those unaffiliated with either major party share this view.

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February 4, 2009

GOP President After Obama Seen As A Bit Less Likely

Many U.S. voters still think the recent pattern of the White House alternating between the political parties will continue, but Barack Obama’s early popularity is dampening that belief somewhat.

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January 30, 2009

Majority See Reagan As Republicans’ Way Back To Power

Ronald Reagan isn’t just a Republican thing anymore.

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January 29, 2009

Republicans Like GOP’s Conservative Direction, Democrats Don’t

One thing for sure: Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on the future direction of the Republican Party.

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January 26, 2009

44% of Democrats Say Bush Team Guilty of War Crimes

Forty-four percent (44%) of Democratic voters believe President Bush and senior members of his administration are guilty of war crimes. Only 28% of the nation’s Democrats disagree.

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January 13, 2009

Majority Rates Bush as One of America’s Worst Presidents

President George W. Bush in a final press conference on Monday acknowledged he made some mistakes in the White House, but most Americans – at least for now – are a lot more critical than that.

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January 9, 2009

Voters Warm To Government Action on Economy

What a difference a financial meltdown makes.

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January 7, 2009

Only 26% Think U.S. Will Be Safer At Year’s End

Just 26% of Americans think the United States will be safer at the end of Barack Obama's first year in office than it is today, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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January 6, 2009

America First? Maybe Not

Americans are narrowly divided over whether the United States will still be the world’s most powerful nation at the end of the current century.

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January 5, 2009

48% Expect Washington Politics to Be More Cooperative

Nearly half of U.S. voters (48%) now think politics in Washington, D.C., will be more cooperative in the next year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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December 27, 2008

FDR vs. Reagan: May The Best President Win

It’s a showdown between the two most influential presidents of the 20th Century. Franklin D. Roosevelt versus Ronald W. Reagan.