Politics

32% Favor Release of Israeli Spy Pollard to Help Peace Talks

The Obama administration is reportedly proposing to release Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard from prison if it will help keep U.S.-brokered Middle East peace talks alive, but just one-in-three U.S. voters like that idea.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the release of Pollard, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 after being convicted of spying on the United States for Israel. Slightly more (37%) oppose Pollard’s release to help advance peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Another 32% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

47% in New Jersey Now Less Likely to Vote for Christie for President

The good news for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is that the first major probe of the so-called Bridgegate scandal has found him innocent of wrongdoing. The bad news is that New Jersey voters view him more unfavorably now than they did when the scandal first broke and are even less likely to vote for him as president.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely New Jersey Voters finds that 61% think it’s at least somewhat likely that Christie was aware at the time that traffic lanes onto the George Washington Bridge were being closed as retaliation against the mayor of Fort Lee for refusing to support Christie’s reelection. This includes 37% who say it is Very Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 750 Likely Voters in New Jersey was conducted on March 31-April 1, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 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% Support Amnesty for Edward Snowden

More voters than ever believe it is good that the American people are aware of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance programs, but most still think the disclosures are hurting national security. One-in-four voters now supports amnesty for NSA leaker Edward Snowden in exchange for the information he still possesses.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that, regardless of what they think of Edward Snowden, 62% believe it is good for the nation that the American people know about the NSA’s surveillance programs. Sixteen percent (16%) say this increased awareness is bad for the country, while slightly more (22%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 30-31, 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.

65% Think IRS Should Stay Focused on Taxes, Not Obamacare

Voters continue to think the Internal Revenue Service is not aggressive enough in going after tax cheats and believe strongly than the agency should focus on tax collection rather than taking on its new task of enforcing Obamacare.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 19% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is a good use of IRS resources for the agency to police public compliance with the new national health care law. Sixty-five percent (65%) believe the IRS should remain focused on collecting taxes, up seven points from 58% in April of last year. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 28-29, 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.

53% Oppose Stricter Gun Control Laws

Most voters oppose tougher gun control for the first time since the Connecticut elementary school shootings in December 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 40% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States needs stricter gun control laws, down nine points from last May and the lowest level of support for stricter laws since February 2012. Fifty-three percent (53%) do not think the country needs tougher gun control laws, the highest level of opposition in over two years. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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

Mississippi Senate: Cochran (R) 48%, Childers (D) 31%

Both Republican contenders have a solid lead over former Democratic Congressman Travis Childers in Rasmussen Reports' first look at the U.S. Senate race in Mississippi.

A new statewide telephone survey of Likely Mississippi voters finds longtime Senator Thad Cochran leading Childers by 17 points - 48% to 31%. Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate in the race, and 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.

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The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Mississippi was conducted on March 26-29, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

65% Favor Continued U.S. Involvement in NATO

President Obama was in Europe this week seeking support for stronger action against Russia in the wake of its annexation of Crimea. U.S. voters consider America's relationship with Europe to be highly important and feel more strongly than ever in the need for the United States to belong to the NATO alliance.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 92% of Likely U.S. Voters rate America's relationship with Europe as important, with 61% who say it is Very Important. Just four percent (4%) consider the relationship not very or Not At All Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

49% Support Religious Exemption from Obamacare’s Contraceptive Mandate

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday heard a case in which two businesses argued that for religious reasons they should not be required to provide health insurance with free contraceptives for their women employees. Half of voters agree with that position.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters believe a business should be allowed to opt out of providing coverage for contraceptives if it violates the religious beliefs of the business owner. Forty percent (40%) disagree and say the business should not be allowed to opt out of the requirement contained in the new national health care law. Ten percent (10%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 24-25, 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% View Vladimir Putin Very Unfavorably

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity is surging in Russia, but his ratings in America are at their most negative. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 83% of Likely U.S. Voters have an unfavorable impression of Putin, including 55% who view him Very Unfavorably. Just eight percent (8%) of voters view Putin favorably, with one percent (1%) who view him Very Favorably. Three percent (3%) say they have never heard of him. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

78% Favor Proof of Citizenship Before Being Allowed to Vote

A federal judge last week upheld the right of states to require proof of citizenship before allowing someone to register to vote. Voters continue to overwhelmingly support such a requirement.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 78% of Likely U.S. Voters believe everyone should be required to prove his or her citizenship before being allowed to register to vote. That’s up from 71% a year ago. Just 19% oppose that requirement. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 20-21, 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.

Just 11% Think Economic Sanctions Likely to Make Russia Give Up Crimea

Most voters oppose Russia's annexation of Crimea, but they overwhelmingly doubt that U.S. and EU economic sanctions on Russian officials will change the situation. However, few voters support more aggressive action if the sanctions don’t work.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% of Likely U.S. Voters favor Russia’s annexation of Crimea after citizens in the region last Sunday voted overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine. Fifty-eight percent (58%) oppose Russia annexing Crimea, but a sizable 30% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

61% Oppose U.S. Giving Up Control Over Internet

The U.S. government announced last Friday that it is giving up its last bit of control over the Internet and turning it over to an international organization.But most voters think that’s a bad idea and expect countries like Russia and China to try to censor Internet content.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose the United States giving up its last remaining control over the Internet. Just 18% favor that move, while 21% are not sure about it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

Montana Senate: Daines (R) 51%, Walsh (D) 37%

Republican Congressman Steve Daines is well ahead of interim Senator John Walsh and fellow Democrat John Bohlinger in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Montana.

A new statewide telephone survey of Likely Montana Voters finds that Daines leads Walsh by 14 points – 51% to 37%. Four percent (4%) like some other candidate in the race, and nine percent (9%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Montana was conducted on March 17-18, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

63% Oppose Adding Members to the House of Representatives

A national political analyst noted recently that U.S. congressional districts have far more people in them now than the Founding Fathers envisioned, and he suggested that the House of Representatives take on more members to decrease the voter-to-member ratio. But most voters don’t like that idea and think it would just make the House more out of touch.

Seventeen percent (17%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor a proposal to increase the size of the House of Representatives by 100 to 200 members to make congressional districts smaller and representatives closer to the voters. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% oppose adding more members to the House. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 10-11, 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.

52% Support U.S. Diplomatic Action Against Russia Over Crimea

The United States and Europe imposed travel and economic sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian officials following Sunday’s vote in Crimea to secede from the Ukraine and join Russia. Few U.S. voters believe Russia should be allowed to annex the Ukrainian peninsula, and just over half support diplomatic action against Russia if it does.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Russia should be allowed to annex Crimea. Forty-two percent (42%) disagree and say Russia should not be allowed to annex the peninsula despite the lopsided support for Russian annexation in Sunday’s referendum vote. However, a sizable 35% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 14-15, 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.

New Low: 47% Say Tax Cuts Help The Economy

Despite news that President Obama is proposing $55 billion in new government spending and higher taxes in 2015, slightly fewer voters expect their own personal taxes to up during the remainder of his presidency. Most continue to believe increased spending hurts the economy, but for the first time, fewer than half of voters believe tax cuts help the economy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of Likely U.S. Voters expect their own personal taxes to go up under the Obama administration. That’s down eight points from December and is the lowest level measured since November 2012. Still, just eight percent (8%) expect their taxes to go down under Obama, while 43% expect them to remain about the same. Thirteen percent (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 March 12-13, 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.

43% Favor Gay Marriage, 43% Oppose

Voters continue to see marriage more as a religious institution than a civil one and remain closely divided on the subject of gay marriage.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters view marriage as a religious institution. Thirty-nine percent (39%) consider it a civil institution. (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 March 10-11, 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. 

67% Think CIA May Have Undercut Senate Investigation

Voters give the Central Intelligence Agency lukewarm praise for its job performance and feel pretty sure it’s been illegally interfering with a congressional investigation of its work as a leading senator charged earlier this week.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 39% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the CIA’s performance as good or excellent, although only 13% think the spy agency is doing a poor job. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 12-13, 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.

60% Say Air Travel Can Never Be Made Completely Safe from Terrorism

Most Americans don’t think the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner was a victim of terrorism but also believe air travel can never be made completely safe from terrorists. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 26% of American Adults feel that terrorism is the most likely cause of the Malaysia Airlines crash. Thirty-three percent (33%) think mechanical failure is the most likely cause, while nine percent (9%) feel it’s due to human error. Eleven percent (11%) attribute it to something else. Twenty-two percent (22%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1000 American Adults was conducted on March 11-12, 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.

41% in Wisconsin Would Vote for Walker for President

Most Wisconsin voters don’t want Governor Scott Walker running for president, but more say they would vote for him if he wins the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

Just 22% of Likely Wisconsin Voters think Walker should run for president in 2016, according to a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone poll. Sixty-one percent (61%) oppose a presidential bid by Walker, while 18% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on March 10-11, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.