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January 20, 2015Government Created the Housing Bubble and Financial Crisis -- and Could Be Doing so Again By Michael Barone
What caused the financial crisis? How can we prevent another one from happening again? The answers you most often hear to those questions are (1) greed and deregulation and (2) the Dodd-Frank law.
But they're patently inadequate. Greed -- or the desire for monetary gain -- has always been with us and always will be. And no one has convincingly linked financial deregulation to the crisis. Dodd-Frank, enacted to increase regulation, confers too-big-to-fail status on very large financial institutions, which incentivizes unduly risky behavior and penalizes smaller competitors.
January 20, 2015Stop Making Excuses for Nonvoting Millennials by Froma Harrop
The recent economic crisis hit the American middle class hard. But for the youngest adults trying to gain a foothold in the good life, it's been devastating.

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                            January 20, 2015Confidence in Housing Market Jumps to New Highs
More homeowners than ever believe their home will be worth more in the future than it is today.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of American Homeowners say the value of their home will go up over the next year, up four points from the previous high of 40% in November and the highest level of short-term optimism in regular surveying since the spring of 2009. Just 10% think their home’s value will go down over the next 12 months, a new low. Forty-three percent (43%) say 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 670 American Homeowners was conducted on January 16-17, 2015 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.

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                            January 19, 2015Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 39%, Republicans 38%
Democrats have a one-point lead over Republicans on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending January 18 finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democratic candidate in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Republican instead.
(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 telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from December 29-30, 2014 and January 2-4, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 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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                            January 19, 2015Americans Say MLK's Dream of Equality Remains Unfulfilled
Americans continue to hold Martin Luther King Jr. in high esteem nearly 50 years after his murder, but most think his dream of equality still hasn't been fulfilled.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 86% of American Adults have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of King, including 50% with a Very Favorable opinion. Just eight percent (8%) view the late civil rights leader unfavorably, including three percent (3%) with a Very Unfavorable view. (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 and Facebook.
The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on January 14-15, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 19, 2015Voters Strongly Suspect Released Gitmo Prisoners Will Attack U.S.
President Obama in an effort to close the terrorist prison camp at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba recently has begun stepping up the release of inmates there to their native countries. Most voters still oppose closing the Guantanamo prison and worry that the suspected terrorists who are released will attack the United States and its allies again.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Guantanamo prison camp should be closed. While that’s up slightly from last May and up from  23% in April 2013, support for the prison’s closure is still down from a high of 44% in January 2009 when President Obama first announced his plans to do so. Fifty-three percent (53%) remain opposed to closing Gitmo. Nineteen percent (19%) 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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 15-16, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 19, 2015Voters Complain More About Health Care And Aren’t Optimistic
Voters are more critical of the health care they personally receive but still don’t expect it to get better under Obamacare. Most think consumers are better off with less government involvement in the health care marketplace.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 33% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the U.S. health care system in general as good or excellent. Twenty-eight percent (28%) regard the system as poor. This is consistent with voter attitudes since mid-2013. (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 January 3-4, 2015 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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                            January 18, 2015Fewer Voters Think Allies Should Follow America's Lead
Voters continue to show little optimism about America’s future and feel less strongly about this nation's leadership role.
Thirty-two percent (32%) of Likely U.S. Voters now think America’s best days are in the future, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s down from 34% in October but still above the all-time low of 29% last July. Forty-six percent (46%) think America’s best days are already in the past, but that’s down from 51% in the previous survey and is the lowest finding in a year. Another 22% 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 national telephone survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on January 13-14, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 17, 2015What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls: Week Ending January 17, 2015
Bob Dylan once declared, “Something is happening here, but you don’t know what it is.” That could well describe America’s response to radical Islam.

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                            January 16, 201560% Think U.S. Society is Fair and Decent
The new year has voters feeling more positive about American society that they have in quite a while.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters think American society is generally fair and decent. This finding is up six points from October’s seven-year low and is the highest finding since April 2013. Prior to 2013, belief that American society was fair and decent ran regularly in the low-to-mid 60s. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say American society is generally unfair and discriminatory, a near two-year low. Twelve percent (12%) 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 telephone survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on January 13-14, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 16, 2015Most Voters Still Wary of How Government Does Business
Voters are more convinced than ever that the government gives special treatment to companies with the most political connections, but they save some skepticism for the private sector as well. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most government contracts are awarded to the company with the most political connections rather than one that can provide the best service for the best price. That’s up from 63% a year ago and 66% in 2012. Just 18% disagree and think most government contracts go to the company that can provide the best service for the best price, down from 25% last year. Eleven percent (11%) 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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 13-14, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 16, 2015Confidence in Race Relations Tumbles
Americans still believe most of their fellow countrymen aren’t racist but think race relations in this country have taken a decided turn for the worse.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 17% of American Adults now rate race relations in America today as good or excellent, down by half from 34% a year ago. Twenty-nine percent (29%) describe race relations as poor, compared to 19% who felt that way in January 2014. (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 and Facebook.
The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on January 14-15, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 16, 2015Why the Violent Extremists Welcome Attacks on Islam by Joe Conason
Whenever an act of horrific terror enrages the West, a predictable second act ensues. Furious commentators and activists on the right erupt with blanket denunciations of Islam, Muslims and their supposed plots to enslave us all under Shariah, urging that we ban the religion, stigmatize its faithful and restore the Judeo-Christian exclusivity of America. Sometimes a few even seek retribution in attacks on mosques, individual Muslims and anyone unfortunate enough to "look Muslim."

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                            January 16, 2015Feds Still Have Few Friends
Most voters don't like the federal government and think it should downsize. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 35% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the federal government, while 62% view it unfavorably. This includes five percent (5%) with a Very Favorable opinion and 25% with a Very Unfavorable one. That's consistent with past surveys. (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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 11-12, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 16, 2015Protecting a Tolerant Society Against the Intolerance: A New --- and Old --- Challenge by Michael Barone
How far should a tolerant society tolerate intolerance? It's a difficult issue, one without any entirely satisfactory answer. And it's a current issue in the days after 40 world leaders and the U.S. ambassador to France marched together in Paris against the jihadist Muslim murderers who targeted the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

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                            January 15, 2015Cash No Longer Reigns Supreme
Paper or plastic? A common question at the grocery store might now refer to your wallet rather than your shopping bags.
Over half (53%) of American Adults now say they’ve gone an entire week without paying for anything with cash or coins, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s up from 49% a year ago and 43% in 2012. Thirty-nine percent (39%) have not, down six points from 2014. (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 and Facebook.
The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on January 12-13, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 15, 2015Do Most Muslims See America As An Enemy?
Is there really a “clash of civilizations”? The jury is still out as far as most American voters are concerned.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most Muslims worldwide view the United States as an enemy. That’s down slightly from 41% last July and a high of 49% in August 2013. Nearly as many (37%) think most Muslims around the world do not view the United States as an enemy. A sizable 24%, however, 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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 11-12, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 15, 2015Voters Agree The Rich Get Richer
As the old saying goes, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters agree, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty percent (40%) disagree and believe most Americans benefit as economic conditions improve. (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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 13-14, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 15, 2015Gilded Youth and Their Pain By Froma Harrop
A Hollywood-handsome Princeton grad recently shot his hedge-fund-founder father to death. The alleged reason: Thomas Gilbert Sr.'s plan to cut his allowance by $200 a month. You can imagine what the tabloids are doing with the story. 
January 15, 2015Harry Reid & The Senate Survivors By Geoffrey Skelley
If history is any indication, it would be hard to pick against Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) if he runs for another term next year. His races are often close, but he has shown a remarkable amount of resilience over the years, frustrating Republican attempts to dislodge him. In fact, by some measures Reid has had a tougher time retaining his seat than any of the longest-serving senators during the century-long era of popular Senate elections. He is, in many ways, the heartiest of the “Senate survivors.”