Politics

66% Say Colorado Shooter Suspect Should Get Death Penalty

In the wake of the Aurora, Colorado shootings, more Americans than ever support the death penalty, and most feel this punishment is appropriate for the suspected killer if he's convicted. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of American Adults now favor the death penalty, while just 25% oppose it.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on July 24-25, 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.

62% Think Health Law Likely to Cause Some Companies to Drop Employee Coverage

A sizable majority of voters continues to believe that some companies will drop health insurance coverage for their employees because of President Obama’s health care law. But there’s a noticeable partisan difference of opinion over whether that’s a good or bad thing.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 62% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that the law will cause some companies to drop their employee coverage. Just 27% feel that’s unlikely. These findings include 40% who believe it is Very Likely versus only seven percent (7%) who say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on July 25-26, 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.

Just 23% Have a Favorable Opinion of Geithner

Despite receiving criticism for his potential involvement in the manipulation of a key global interest rate, slightly more voters share a favorable opinion of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner this month.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 23% have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Geithner, up from 18% in April. Thirty-seven (37%) hold at least a somewhat unfavorable view of the Secretary of the Treasury, down from 45% in April. This includes six percent (6%) with a Very Favorable opinion and 22% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 21-22, 2012 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.

46% Say Romney Should Release More Tax Returns, 46% Disagree

Mitt Romney has refused to release his tax returns prior to 2010, and voters are evenly divided over whether he should make public his returns from earlier years. But just one-third of voters rate Romney’s tax returns as even somewhat important to how they will vote.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters think Romney’s release of his tax returns for 2010 and 2011 are enough. The identical number (46%) feels the Republican challenger should release more of his tax returns from earlier years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on July 23-24, 2012 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.

51% Say U.S. Should Help Israel If It Attacks Iran

Tensions between Israel and Iran are rising again following a terrorist attack against Israeli civilians in Bulgaria, and most Americans think there’s a good chance of a war between the two in the near future. Most also think the United States should help Israel if it attacks Iran.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that Israel will attack Iran in the next year while  just 23% see such an attack as unlikely. Those figures include 22% who think an Israeli attack is Very Likely and only two percent (2%) who say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

41% Say U.S. Needs Stricter Gun Laws

Most Americans are following the news about the horrific movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado last week, but an overwhelming majority doubts that public places can ever be made completely safe from such violence. Support for stricter gun control laws remains basically unchanged.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just nine percent (9%) of American Adults believe public places can be made completely safe against violence like the incident in Colorado. Seventy-nine percent (79%) disagree and say they cannot be made safer. (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 Adults was conducted on July 20-21, 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.

Among Military Veterans: Romney 59% Obama 35%

Most military veterans don’t like the job President Obama is doing and prefer Mitt Romney in November’s election.

New Rasmussen Reports polling finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters who have served in the military favor the Republican challenger, while 35% support the president.  Five percent (5%) of these voters like some other candidate in the race, but only two percent (2%) are undecided.

The national telephone survey of 574 Voters who have served in the military was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from July 9-15, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey 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.

47% Say It's Too Easy To Get Food Stamps

Nearly half of Americans now think it's too easy to get food stamps, but a majority agrees that tough economic times are driving the demand for them.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of American Adults believe it is too easy to get food stamps in this country. That number has been trending up from 40% in surveys since December 2010. Eighteen percent (18%) think it is too hard to get food stamps, in line with previous surveys. One-in-four (24%) think the level of eligibility is about right, but another 11% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 16-17, 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.

Among Uncommitted Voters, Obama Job Approval Is At 29%

Polls over the past month have consistently shown a very close general election race between President Obama and Mitt Romney. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll has shown Obama’s support between 44% and 46% every day for weeks. During that same time frame, Romney’s support has stayed between 44% and 47%.

While some of those voters could ultimately change their minds, the winner could very well be determined by the eight percent (8%) to 10% of voters who routinely refuse to commit to either of the major party candidates. About half of them prefer a third-party option, and the other half are simply undecided.

The survey of 653 Uncommitted Likely Voters was conducted July 2-15, 2012 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.

62% Put Economic Growth Ahead of Economic Fairness

Voters view economic growth as much more important than economic fairness and think Mitt Romney favors growth while President Obama is more focused on fairness.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Likely U.S. Voters consider encouraging economic growth as a more important role for the government than ensuring economic fairness. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of voters believe it’s more important for the government to ensure economic fairness. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Rice is Still No. 1 on Short List of Romney Veep Possibilities

Condi Rice remains the most popular among those Mitt Romney is reportedly considering as a vice presidential running mate.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters share at least a somewhat favorable view of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while just 24% view her unfavorably. This includes 29% with a Very Favorable opinion of her and six percent (6%) with a Very Unfavorable one. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

41% See Romney’s Business Record As a Positive, 41% Disagree

Voters are now evenly divided over whether Mitt Romney’s business experience is a plus or a minus, but they still consider him more ethical than President Obama.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters now think Romney’s track record in business is primarily a reason to vote for him, while just as many (41%) consider it chiefly a reason to vote against him. A sizable 18% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

66% Believe U.S. Has Too Much Government Power, Too Little Freedom

From the beginning of the nation, Americans have recognized a necessary tension between giving power to government and maintaining individual freedom. The Federalist Papers, written to advocate ratification of the Constitution, noted that when creating a government “the people must cede to it some of their natural rights in order to vest it with requisite powers.”

Today, however, 66% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that there is too much government power and too little individual freedom. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just eight percent (8%) believe the opposite to be true. Twenty-two percent (22%) think the balance is about right.  (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 July 7-8, 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.

Most Still Not Confident Social Security Will Pay All Promised Benefits

Voters continue to lack faith in the Social Security system and do not believe they will see all they've been promised.

Just 40% of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat confident that Social Security will pay them all their promised benefits in their lifetime, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  Fifty-six percent (56%) don't share that confidence.  These findings include only 14% who are Very Confident that Social Security will pay them all their benefits and 27% who are Not At All Confident. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

49% Favor Strict Legal Interpretation of the Constitution

Did the Founding Fathers mean what they said or did they view the U.S. Constitution as just a set of principles to guide the nation? That legal debate continues to this day.

But nearly half (49%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Constitution should be strictly interpreted as written, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-three percent (43%) disagree and say they are more inclined to view it as a “living document” subject to constant reinterpretation depending on the changing times. (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 July 7-8, 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.

Most Voters Favor Photo ID At Polls, Don’t See It As Discrimination

The Obama administration is in federal court this week challenging Texas’ new law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. Attorney General Eric Holder told the NAACP yesterday that such laws are like the poll taxes of old intended to keep blacks from voting.  But most voters don’t see it that way.

In fact, Rasmussen Reports polling finds that only 21% of Likely U.S. Voters nationwide think it’s discriminatory to require all voters to prove their identity before being allowed to vote.  Seventy-three percent (73%) disagree and say such a requirement does not discriminate against some voters. That's consistent with past polling on the topic.

But then 56% of voters oppose the Justice Department’s decision to challenge the legality of Texas’ new law in court.  Thirty-three percent (33%) agree with that decision, and 11% are undecided.

(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.

35% View Tea Party Favorably, 42% Do Not

Voters have a slightly more favorable view of the Tea Party than they did at the first of the year, but that support is still well below where it was three years ago when the grass roots movement came into existence to protest President Obama’s growth of government. A wide partisan difference of opinion remains.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 35% of Likely U.S. Voters now share a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement. That compares to 31%  in January, the all-time low in favorability to date, and a high of 51% in mid-April 2009.

Forty-two percent (42%) view the Tea Party unfavorably, while another 24% are not sure what they thing of the group.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

Partisans See Election 2012 As Very Important, Unaffiliateds Not So Sure

As they do every presidential election season, political activists quickly start talking about how this election is the most important of their lifetime. They rile up their own team with this perspective but fail to connect with many unaffiliated voters. (Sign up for free daily e-mail update with all the latest polling highlights).

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that, in terms of the impact on their own lives, 74% of Republicans say Election 2012 is Very Important. Virtually the same number of Democrats (73%) agree. However, among voters not affiliated with either of the major parties, just 42% believe the upcoming election is that important.  (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.

This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on July 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.

47% Rate Obama’s Leadership Good Or Excellent

Although President Obama’s ratings on the economy are at the lowest level since last November, a strong plurality of voters continues to give him positive marks for his leadership. Not surprisingly, there's also still a wide partisan difference of opinion on this question.

Forty-seven percent (47%) of Likely U.S. Voters say Obama is a good or excellent leader, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-seven percent (37%) describe his leadership is poor. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on July 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 7% Support Legal Reasoning That Led to Greater Government Regulation

In 1942, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could regulate how much wheat a farmer could grow on his own property for his own use. That ruling dramatically enhanced the power of the federal government by making almost all economic activity subject to federal regulation as “interstate commerce." However, voters today overwhelmingly reject that underlying argument.