General Politics

45% Favor Restoring Some Sequester Budget Cuts, 40% Oppose

Voters still strongly prefer a federal budget that cuts spending, but they’re closely divided over the new budget deal that would restore some of the across-the-board sequester spending cuts from earlier this year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 15% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a federal budget that increases government spending. Sixty-one percent (61%) like a federal budget that cuts spending instead. Eighteen percent (18%) prefer one that keeps spending levels about the same. (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 December 12-13, 2013 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.

A Year After Newtown, Just 31% Think More Gun Control Likely

A year after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, far fewer adults expect more gun control.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 31% of American Adults now think it is at least somewhat likely that Congress and the president will create tougher gun control laws, with 12% who think it’s Very Likely. Fifty-nine percent (59%) say stricter gun control is unlikely, including 17% who say it's Not At All Likely. (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 Adults was conducted on December 7-8, 2013 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.

54% Think More Focus on Mental Health Issues Will Prevent Future Newtown Incidents

One year after the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, more Americans than ever believe tackling mental health issues is the best way to prevent such mass murders.A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults think more action to treat mental health issues will do the most to help reduce the number of mass shootings like the one in Connecticut. That's up six points from 48% in mid-December of last year.  Twenty-three percent (23%) believe stricter gun control laws will do the most, down from 27% a year ago, while 12% call first for limits on violent movies and video games. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (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 Adults was conducted on December 7-8, 2013 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.

61% Expect Government Spending To Rise Under Obama

Belief that federal spending will go up under President Obama is at its highest level in three years, but most voters continue to think cuts in government spending are better for the economy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters now expect government spending to rise under Obama. That's the highest finding on this question since November 2010. Just 14% think spending will go down. Twenty-one percent (21%) predict it will stay about the same. (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 December 4-5, 2013 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 Gays Good for Military, 31% Disagree

Most voters believe the U.S. military is the best, but they are closely divided over the impact of letting gays and lesbians serve openly in America's armed services.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States has the best military in the world. Just 13% disagree, and 15% 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 December 2-3, 2013 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. 

52% View China As Long-Term Threat to U.S.

Vice President Joe Biden visited Beijing this week following the latest flare-up of tensions with China, but U.S. voters are less convinced these days that China is a national security threat. They also show little enthusiasm for President Obama’s proposed “Asia pivot,” shifting the focus of U.S. foreign policy from Europe and the Middle East to China and East Asia.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters still believe China is a long-term threat to the United States, but that’s down from 62% in late September 2011.Twenty-two percent (22%) feel the Asian giant is not a threat to America. But even more (26%) 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 December 4-5, 2013 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% Believe U.S. Doesn’t Spend Enough on Military, National Security

The United States spends more on defense annually than the next 10 countries combined, but more voters than ever don’t think that’s enough.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States does not spend enough on the military and national security, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s the highest level measured since tracking began in February 2011. Just 29% now say the United States spends too much money in this area, while nearly as many (27%) say it spends about the right amount. (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 25-26, 2013 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. 

41% Favor Nuclear Deal with Iran, 43% Oppose

Voters are almost evenly divided over a treaty the United States has reached with Iran to slow that country’s nuclear weapons program and tend to think the arrangement is likely to make things worse in the Middle East.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% favor the short-term deal that ends some economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for verifiable cutbacks in the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Forty-three percent (43%) oppose that deal. Sixteen percent (16%) 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 25-26, 2013 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.

47% Think It’s Negative To Compare A Candidate to Obama or George W. Bush

Comparing a candidate to President Obama is as bad these days as comparing one to George W. Bush as far as voters are concerned. For most voters, Ronald Reagan remains the best president of the last 30 years to compare a politician to.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters consider it a negative to describe a candidate as being like Barack Obama. Just as many (48%) view a comparison to Bush as a negative.

For 29%, comparing a political candidate to Obama is a positive, while 19% consider it somewhere in between a positive and a negative. Similarly, 24% say describing a candidate as being like his Republican predecessor in the White House is a positive, while 26% think it’s somewhere in between. (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 23-24, 2013 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% Say Senate Should Allow Yes-or-No Vote on All Presidential Nominees

The U.S. Senate yesterday ended rules that allowed a minority of senators to prevent a vote on a president’s political nominees, and most voters think the change is a good one.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of Likely U.S. Voters think that, regardless of any disagreements, every presidential nominee should be the subject of a simple yes-or-no vote in the Senate. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% disagree, but another 23% are not sure. (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 19-20, 2013 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. 

24% Believe Obama Opponents Driven By Racism

With President Obama struggling through perhaps the lowest point of his presidency, one-in-four voters believes racism is the driving factor behind opposition to his policies. But similar to past polls, voters of different races strongly disagree.

Sixty percent (60%) of Likely U.S. Voters think people oppose the president’s policies primarily because they believe the policies are bad. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 24% believe the opposition is due to racism. Ten percent (10%) think people oppose Obama’s policies for some other reason. (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 19-20, 2013 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. 

Lone Gunman or Conspiracy? Americans Are Evenly Divided Over JFK Assassination

Fifty years after the gunshots that ended the life of John F. Kennedy, Americans are evenly divided over whether the 35th president of the United States was killed by one man or by a still-unidentified group of conspirators.

Thirty-six percent (36%) of American Adults believe Kennedy was the victim of a lone gunman on November 22, 1963. But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just as many (37%) think he was the victim of a larger conspiracy. A sizable 27% are not sure, highlighting the questions that still surround the Kennedy assassination. (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 Adults 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.

43% Trust GOP More on Health Care, 39% Democrats

Voters are expressing slightly more confidence in Republicans these days when it comes to health care.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters now trust the GOP more to handle health care. Thirty-nine percent (39%) trust Democrats more. In September, the two were essentially tied, with Republicans posting a 43% to 42% lead. (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 17-18, 2013 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 Strongly Defend Their Basic Freedoms But See Government As A Threat

Voters continue to adamantly defend their constitutional freedoms, and most still consider the federal government a threat to those rights.

Just 30% of Likely U.S. Voters view the government today as a protector of individual rights, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty-five percent (55%) think the government is a threat to their rights. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure. (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 17-18, 2013 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.

78% Think U.S. Spies On Others As Much or More Than They Spy on Us

Most voters consider foreign spying a serious threat to the United States, but three-out-of-four think America spies on other countries as much or more than they spy on us.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe spying on the United States by other countries is at least a somewhat serious threat, with 26% who say it’s Very Serious. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% think foreign spying is not a serious threat, but that includes only three percent (3%) who feel it’s Not At All Serious. (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 15-16, 2013 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% Favor Repeal of Obamacare

Most voters view the new national health care law as bad for the country and want to repeal it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 35% of Likely U.S. Voters now believe the trouble-plagued health care law is good for America. Fifty-five percent (55%) consider it bad for the country. Only two percent (2%) think it will have no impact. (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 9-10, 2013 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.

12% Are Very Confident They'll Get All Promised Medicare Benefits

Most voters still view Medicare favorably but don't expect to get all their benefits from the federal health insurance system for retirees.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable impression of the Medicare system, including 26% with a Very favorable impression. Just 26% view Medicare unfavorably, with 10% who share a Very Unfavorable opinion. This is the most favorable view of the system that voters have held in a 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 Voters was conducted on November 5-6, 2013 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% Think Their Congressman Likely to Have Sold a Vote

Congress for sale? That's what most voters still think.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most members of Congress are willing to sell their vote for cash or campaign contributions. Just 13% disagree, and twice as many more (26%) aren't sure. (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 3-4, 2013 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.

Only eight percent (8%) of all voters believe most members of Congress almost always get reelected because they do a good job representing their constituents. Most (67%) say they usually get reelected because election rules are rigged to benefit incumbents. Seventy-five percent (75%) now say Congress is doing a poor job, the legislative branch's highest negative in more than seven years of regular tracking.

54% Favor Law Prohibiting Workplace Discrimination Against LGBT People

The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, although a plurality of voters don't see such discrimination as a serious problem. Most voters nationwide support the law, but one-in-three think certain religious organizations should be exempt from it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a law that outlaws discrimination in the workplace against transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Thirty percent (30%) oppose such a law, while 16% 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 5-6, 2012 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.

Only 33% Think Most Judges Follow the Law in Their Rulings

Judges are often criticized for legislating from the bench, and just one-in-three voters now believes most judicial rulings follow the law as written.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters think most judges in their rulings try to make new law they like better. Only 33% believe most judges in their rulings follow the letter of the law. Nearly as many (28%) are not sure which is the case. (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 Voters was conducted on November 1-2, 2013 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.