General Politics

Few Voters See Post-Gadhafi Libya As Good for America

With Libya descending further into political chaos, voters aren’t sure it was a good idea for the United States to help overthrow the longtime dictator there and definitely don’t want any further U.S. involvement in the troubled North African country.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 19% of Likely U.S. Voters think the changes in Libya over the last three years including the death of dictator Moammar Gadhafi will be good for the United States. Twenty-five percent (25%) believe those changes will be bad for this country, while 29% say they will have no impact. Another 26% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

Voters See Illegal Immigration As Bigger National Security Worry Than Russia, Gaza

U.S. voters rate the latest immigration crisis as a bigger national security problem for this country than Russia and the renewed fighting between Israelis and Palestinians. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of Likely U.S. Voters, given these three options, consider the growing illegal immigration problem to be a bigger national security concern for the United States. Thirty-one percent (31%) view Russia as the bigger problem. Twenty-three percent (23%) think the situation in Gaza is the bigger danger facing the country. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 29-30, 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.

54% Believe Obama Wants Most New Illegal Immigrants to Stay

Voters think President Obama is doing a poor job handling the latest immigration crisis and believe he wants to let most of the new illegal immigrants stay here despite majority support for their quick deportation.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters want the U.S. government to send these new illegal immigrant children home as quickly as possible. Thirty-six percent (36%) think instead that the government should process them more slowly to determine whether any should be allowed to stay in the United States. Ten percent (10%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This marks a slight increase in favor of quick deportation from earlier this month. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 29-30, 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.

Number of Fiscal Conservatives Up to Highest Level in Past Year

The number of voters who consider themselves fiscally conservative continues to climb, while one-in-three say they are social liberals.

A new Rasmussen Reports national survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters now identify themselves as conservative on fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending and business regulation. That’s up from 41% in April and is the highest finding since last July. Just 14% are liberal in this area, while 37% view themselves as moderates. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 23-24, 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 Helps Voters Decide - Looks? Sex? Race? Issues?

Americans are model voters when you ask them what motivates their voting decisions.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of American Adults believe most of their fellow citizens are not informed voters, but most voters beg to differ in the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 27-28, 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.

Voters Favor Cutting U.S. Aid to Israel, Palestinians to Force Peace

Most voters oppose more direct U.S. involvement to end the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza but favor cutting some or all U.S. funding to the two sides to force a peace settlement. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States should get more directly involved if the violence continues between Israel and the Palestinians. Fifty-seven percent (57%) disagree and say the United States should leave the situation alone. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 21-22, 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.

Most Say Airliner Shootdown Won’t Scare Them Out of Flying

Most Americans don’t think air travel can ever be made completely safe from incidents like last week's shootdown in Ukraine, but they also say the tragedy won’t prevent them from flying in the future.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that nine percent (9%) of American Adults believe air travel can be made completely safe from incidents like the one in Ukraine, but 71% disagree. Another 20% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 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.

Voters See A More Divided Nation; GOPers More Enthusiastic to Vote

Voters strongly believe the United States is a more divided nation these days, and they think both sides are to blame. Most are also ready to do something about it at the ballot box in November.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Likely U.S. Voters say America is a more divided nation than it was four years ago. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just seven percent (7%) think the country is less divided now, while 21% rate the level of division as about the same.(To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 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.

Airliner Shootdown? U.S. Voters Think Russia Did It

U.S. voters are overwhelmingly convinced that Russia had a hand in the shootdown of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over Ukraine, but they also strongly believe any punishment should be a multinational one and not come from just the United States alone.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that Russia was involved in some way in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 last Thursday, with 57% who consider it Very Likely. Just seven percent (7%) think it’s not very or Not At All Likely that Russia was involved, but another 13% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

Most Voters Want to Send Latest Illegal Immigrants Home ASAP

Most voters don’t want any of the young illegal immigrants who’ve recently arrived here housed in their state and say any legislation passed by Congress to deal with the problem should focus on sending them home as soon as possible.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the primary focus of any new immigration legislation passed by Congress should be to send the young illegal immigrants back home as quickly as possible. Just 27% say it should focus instead on making it easier for these illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 15-16, 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.

48% Favor Gay Marriage, 41% Oppose

As same-sex marriage gains traction in the courts, an increasing number of Americans are voicing support for it.

Nearly half (48%) of Likely U.S. Voters now favor gay marriage, up from a previous high of 45% in regular tracking since last October. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% still oppose gay marriage, while 11% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 13-14, 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.

Voters React to Plan to Reduce Prison Overcrowding, Restore Felons' Voting Rights

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker are working on bipartisan legislation to reform the U.S. criminal justice system, in part to reduce the U.S. prison population. But while most voters agree with restoring voting rights to non-violent felons, they are less enthusiastic about requiring all states to raise the minimum age someone can be tried as an adult. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters believe there are too many Americans in prison today. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree, while 24% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 13-14, 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.

68% Think Election Rules Rigged for Incumbents

More voters than ever now say U.S. elections are rigged to favor incumbents and are unfair to voters.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters now say American elections are not fair to voters, up from 46% in April and the highest finding in surveys since 2004. Thirty-nine percent (39%) think elections are fair, but 14% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 9-10, 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.

34% Think U.S. Support for Israel Hurts America With Other Nations

Most voters want the United States to stay out of the latest flare-up between the Israelis and the Palestinians, with one-out-of-three who believe U.S. support for Israel hurts this country with other nations.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Palestinians are more to blame for the escalating military conflict in Gaza, while only 15% think the Israelis are chiefly to blame. But a sizable 43% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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58% Think American Society is Fair and Decent

Most voters still think American society is generally fair and decent and believe those who immigrate here should adopt the culture.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters think American society is generally fair and decent, while 32% say it’s generally unfair and discriminatory. Ten percent (10%) are not sure. This is in line with surveys since early 2013. Prior to that time, belief that American society was fair and decent regularly ran in the low to mid-60s. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on July 7-8, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey 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.

54% Think GOP Takeover of Senate Likely

Most voters now think Republicans are likely to win control of Congress in this November’s elections and believe Americans will see a noticeable change in their lives because of it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that the GOP will win a majority in the Senate this November. That’s a 10-point increase from early January and includes 20% who say it is Very Likely. Twenty-nine percent (29%) consider a Republican takeover of the Senate to be unlikely, but that includes only five percent (5%) who say it is Not At All Likely.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 2, 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.

55% Think Women Should Be Allowed to Fight on the Front Lines

The U.S. Navy just named its first female four-star admiral last week, and nearly half of voters think the growing role of women in military services is good for the military.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters consider the growing role of women in the U.S. military a good thing. That’s up from 45% in April but generally in line with surveys since late last year. Seventeen percent (17%) think more women in the services is bad for the military, while 29% think it has no impact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 2, 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.

71% Think IRS Likely to Have Destroyed E-mails to Hide Guilt

Most voters think it’s likely the IRS deliberately destroyed e-mails about its investigations of Tea Party and other conservative groups to hide its criminal behavior. Two-out-of-three now believe IRS employees involved in these investigations should be jailed or fired, and most suspect the agency of targeting other political opponents of the Obama administration.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that the Internal Revenue Service broke the law when it targeted Tea Party and other conservative groups.  That’s up from 49% earlier this year and back to the level seen last September. Little changed from the early surveys are the 22% who think the IRS did not break the law. Slightly more (25%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

44% Still Think Benghazi Will Hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016

A plurality of voters continues to believe the Benghazi controversy will negatively impact Hillary Clinton’s expected bid for the presidency, little changed in surveys since last fall.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters think the circumstances surrounding the murder of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. Embassy employees in Libya will hurt the former secretary of State if she runs for president in 2016. That compares to 46% in January and 43% who felt that way when we first asked the question last October. Seven percent (7%) think the Benghazi issue will help Clinton if she runs for the White House. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say it will have no impact. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 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.

56% Oppose Moving Marathon Bombing Suspect’s Trial Out of Boston

Most voters believe trials should be held in the places where the crimes were committed and oppose moving the trial of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect out of Boston.

The defense lawyers for bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev want to move his trial to Washington, DC because they feel the pool of potential jurors in Boston is too prejudiced, but just 22% of Likely U.S. Voters favor moving that trial out of Boston. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% are opposed to such a move. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on June 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.