Politics

Most Recent Releases

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
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                            October 10, 2016Fewer Voters Say They’ve Changed Their Vote After Watching Presidential Debates
Despite the media circus surrounding the presidential debates this year, voters are less likely than they’ve been in the past to say they’ve changed their vote based on the debates and that the debates are a good indicator of where the candidates stand on the issues. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 24% of Likely U.S. Voters say they’ve changed the way they were going to vote after watching the debates between presidential candidates. Most (70%) have not. (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 October 6 and 9, 2016 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.

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                            October 10, 2016The ‘D’ Word and the Debate
Discipline was the word for last night’s second presidential debate.

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                            October 7, 2016Few Believe Fed Chairman Is Independent of Obama
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Federal Reserve Board Chairman Janet Yellen for keeping interest rates low to prop up a weak economy for political reasons, an accusation the Fed strongly denies. But few voters believe the Fed chairman is actually the independent agent she is supposed to be by law.

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                            October 6, 2016Americans Admit 'Lone Wolf' Terrorists Tough to Stop
As attacks by radical Islamic terrorists proliferate, Americans acknowledge that little can be done to stop one person on a mission to kill.

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                            October 6, 2016Voters Say Trump’s Tax History Is Nothing Unusual in Business
The leak of Donald Trump’s 1995 income tax returns showing substantial financial losses that appear to have allowed him to avoid paying taxes for 18 years sent the media into a frenzy last week. But most voters say such behavior is par for the course in the business world and that a candidate’s policy positions are more important than how much he or she has paid in taxes.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 83% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that when most businessmen pay their taxes, they try to pay as little as possible. Only 12% feel they are more concerned with paying their fair share. (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 October 4-5, 2016  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 Reports analysts Amy Holmes  and Fran Coombs are available for interested media. Please call 732-776-9777 ext. 205 for interviews.]

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                            October 5, 2016Democrats Favor One-Party Rule More Than Republicans
When it comes to Washington, D.C., and the upcoming election, Democrats are more eager for the whole enchilada than Republicans are.

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                            October 4, 2016Are Americans Tuning Out the NFL Over Protests?
A sizable number of Americans say they may give the National Football League a pass this year, thanks to the player protests over racial issues. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that nearly one-third (32%) of American Adults say they are less likely to watch an NFL game because of the growing number of Black Lives Matter protests by players on the field. Only 13% say they are more likely to watch a game because of the protests. Just over half (52%) say the protests have no impact on their viewing decisions. (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 American Adults was conducted on October 2-3, 2016 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. 

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                            October 4, 2016Voters Place More Importance on VP Debate
Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Tim Kaine, a U.S. senator for Virginia, are set to square off in their first and only vice presidential debate tonight. Voters are a bit more likely to say the debate is important to their vote compared to the previous election, putting it nearly even with the presidential debates in that regard.

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                            October 3, 2016Most Say Their Politics Aren’t Influenced By Social Media
Most voters regularly use social media sites, but they insist that their political views aren’t shaped by what their friends and family post online.

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                            September 30, 2016Voters Don’t Trust Media Fact-Checking
Most voters believe news organizations play favorites when it comes to fact-checking candidates’ statements, but this skepticism is much stronger among voters who support Donald Trump than those who back his rival Hillary Clinton.

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                            September 29, 2016Would You Boycott Trump Products?
A sizable number of Americans say they have boycotted businesses on political grounds, but how many would boycott those connected to billionaire Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump?

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                            September 28, 2016Voters Show More Support for Stop and Frisk Laws
Citing rising murder rates in several major cities, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump argues that police should be allowed to stop and frisk anyone on the street whom they consider suspicious. His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and other opponents of such laws say that minorities are unfairly targeted. Voters are more supportive of stop and frisk laws but remain concerned that they may violate some Americans’ rights.

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                            September 28, 2016Voters Say Clinton More Qualified Than Trump for Presidency
Voters still think Hillary Clinton is more fit to be president than Donald Trump.

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                            September 27, 2016Voters Expect Taxes, Spending To Rise Under Clinton, Less Sure About Trump
Voters think taxes and government spending will increase under a Hillary Clinton presidency but are less certain what will happen if Donald Trump is elected.

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                            September 27, 2016And The Winner Is…
Hyper-competent bureaucrat vs. changemaker – that’s the choice Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump laid out for Americans at their first debate.
September 26, 2016Post-Charlotte, Voters Say Obama, Clinton on Side of Protestors, Trump With Police
Voters think President Obama and Hillary Clinton are more likely to side with the protestors in situations like the recent one in Charlotte, N.C., but strongly believe Donald Trump is on the side of the cops.

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                            September 26, 2016Voters See Debate Moderators Giving Clinton A Helping Hand
Voters are pretty convinced the moderators at the presidential debates scheduled to begin tonight will be helping Hillary Clinton more than Donald Trump.

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                            September 23, 201625% Favor Pardon for NSA Leaker Snowden
Edward J. Snowden, the man who exposed the federal government’s surveillance of millions of innocent Americans in the name of national security, is the subject of a major new film and a growing effort to have him pardoned for revealing some of the nation’s top secrets. Voters still aren’t convinced Snowden is a traitor, but they’re not ready to pardon him yet either.

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                            September 23, 2016Voters Say Debates More Important This Year
The first televised debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is set for Monday evening, and voters - particularly those within the two major parties - place more importance on the debates this election cycle than they have in past years.

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                            September 22, 2016Voters Say Pipelines Can Be Built Without Hurting Environment
Opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline, set to run oil from the Dakotas to Illinois, got the project temporarily shut down last week. Tribal nations and green groups argue that the pipeline will destroy cultural and environmental sites, but voters believe it’s entirely possible to build a pipeline like this without doing that kind of damage.