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January 9, 2015Martin Anderson: A Remembrance by Michael Barone
Lou Cannon has a nice remembrance in RealClearPolitics of Martin Anderson, the economist and adviser to Ronald Reagan who died last week at 78. He touches on all of Anderson's accomplishments, from his successful advocacy in the Nixon White House to abolish the military draft to his unearthing, with his wife Annelise Anderson and Kiron Skinner, the handwritten drafts of Ronald Reagan's radio speeches, which show the impressive breadth of Reagan's reading and depth of his thinking.

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                            January 9, 2015Do Government Workers Work Less, Make More?
Americans continue to believe that government employees have it made: They earn more, do less and have more job security.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults think the average government worker earns more annually than the average private sector employee, up from 46% in November but consistent with surveying for several years. Only 26% disagree, but just as many (24%) 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 and Facebook.
The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on January 4-5, 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 8, 2015Don't Call Us, We'll Text You
Telephone calls are fading dramatically as a regular means of communication.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 45% of American Adults say they still primarily communicate with friends and family through phone calls. But that's a 31-point drop from 76% just under five years ago. Half as many (22%) chiefly communicate via text messaging, up from five percent (5%) in the earlier survey.
(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 American Adults was conducted on January 6-7, 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 8, 2015Americans Remain Positive About the Jobs Picture
Americans are still feeling better about the job market.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 24% of American Adults think unemployment will be higher a year from today. This is up three points from 21% in November, but that was the lowest level of pessimism in over four years of regular surveying. Now, 30% believe the unemployment rate will be lower in a year's time, the highest finding since March 2013. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say the unemployment situation will be 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 and Facebook.
The survey of 800 Adults was conducted on January 4-5, 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 8, 2015Americans Are Far Less Fearful of Ebola
Out of sight, out of mind. With only a handful of reported cases in this country, Americans are less concerned about the threat of Ebola and more confident the U.S. public health system can handle the killer virus.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of American Adults still regard Ebola as a serious public health problem for this country, but that’s down 20 points from a high of 69% in early October. Just as many (49%) now say it’s not a serious health problem. These findings include 14% who consider it Very Serious and 14% who say 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 800 American Adults was conducted on January 2-3, 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 8, 2015Playtime Is Over for Obamacare's Foes By Froma Harrop
Friends of Obamacare, horrified that the Supreme Court has taken a case that could blow up the federal health insurance exchanges, should recalibrate their dread. While the health reforms were safely humming along, there was little political price for demanding their demise. Thanks to the Supreme Court, now there is.
Years of carpet-bombing assaults on Obamacare have left many Americans thinking that they don't like the Affordable Care Act. But close down the federal exchanges covering 6 million people (so far) in 36 states and they may think otherwise. With a vengeance.

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                            January 8, 2015Support For Women in Combat Reaches New High
More voters than ever think women are good for the U.S. military and believe even more strongly that they should be allowed to fight on the front lines.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the growing role of women in the services is good for the military, up from 49% in October and the first time support has risen above 50% in regular tracking since December 2013. Just 12% now think women’s growing role is bad for the military, down from 15%. One-in-three (30%) say it has 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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 5-6, 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.
January 8, 2015The New World Order By Larry J. Sabato
Well, that didn’t last long! By that, we mean our pre-Christmas ordering of the GOP presidential field. We shouldn’t be surprised. Politics never takes a long holiday break anymore.
First prize for early maneuvering goes to Jeb Bush. His unexpected, all-but-in announcement on Dec. 16 stunned his competitors and the political community. Bush didn’t just accelerate the entire process, including forthcoming announcements by rivals, but he also gained a leg up in conventional wisdom’s positioning.

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                            January 7, 2015Leading Economic Indicators Back to Pre-2008 Levels
Has the U.S. economy finally turned the corner? Our regular economic indicators suggest that something other than traditional beginning-of-the year optimism is going on.
Daily confidence among consumers and investors as measured by the Rasmussen Reports Consumer and Investor Index has steadily increased over the past several weeks. On Monday, the consumer and investor indexes reached 116 and 132.1 respectively, the highest findings since 2007. While it is generally typical to observe a spike in overall confidence at the start of the year, these are surges not seen since well before the 2008 financial meltdown.
Detailed supplemental information, including a daily history and month-by-month trend data, is available for Platinum Members. 
(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.

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                            January 7, 2015Voters to Mexico: Stop Illegal Immigrants or Lose U.S. Aid
Most U.S. voters think the Mexican government doesn’t do enough to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking and favor stopping foreign aid to our southern neighbor until it does more to prevent illegal border crossings.
Just 14% of Likely U.S. Voters think the Mexican government wants to stop its citizens from illegally entering the United States, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty-five percent (55%) say Mexico is not interested in stopping illegal immigration. But 31% 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 800 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on January 5-6, 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.
January 7, 2015Trust by John Stossel
Trust -- society depends on it.

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                            January 7, 2015Most Still Expect Government to Spend More Under Obama
Voters still expect government spending to go up during President Obama's last two years in office but think taxes are likely to remain about the same.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters think government spending will rise under the Obama administration, consistent with surveys throughout the Obama years. Just 12% expect spending cuts. One-in-four (25%) think the level of government spending 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 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 2, 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 6, 2015Rasmussen Employment Index Closes 2014 On Another High
The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence continues to climb, hitting a six-year high for the second month in a row in December.
At 104.2, worker confidence is up two points from the previous high of 102.4 in November. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 in October 2013 but gained steadily after that. After the Wall Street meltdown in the fall of 2008, the index fell dramatically, hitting an all-time low of 57.8 in July 2009.
(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 9,369 working Americans was conducted in December 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 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 6, 2015Obama or Congress: Who Should Be in Charge?
Bottleneck ahead? Voters are evenly divided when asked whether President Obama or the new Republican-led Congress should take the lead on issues important to the nation.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters think it would be better for the country if the president does more of what Congress wants. Just as many (43%) say it would be better if Congress does more of what the president wants. Fifteen percent (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 national survey of 800 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on January 2, 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.
January 6, 2015Family Fragmentation: Can Anything Be Done? by Michael Barone
How big a problem is family fragmentation? "Immense," says Mitch Pearlstein, head of the Minnesota think tank Center of the American Experiment. "The biggest domestic problem facing this country."
January 6, 2015The Rich and Their Anti-Vaccine Quacks by Froma Harrop
California parents are refusing to vaccinate their kindergartners at twice the rate of seven years ago. So the Los Angeles Times reports. The result has been the return of measles and other serious diseases that can lead to paralysis, birth defects and death. The state is now suffering a whooping cough epidemic -- it's amazing to say -- in the year 2015.
But the real shocker in the story is this: The rise in "personal belief exemptions" -- a loophole in the law requiring parents to have their children vaccinated -- is highest in rich coastal and mountain areas. For example, an astounding 23 percent of students at the Santa Cruz Montessori obtained belief exemptions and are not vaccinated.
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                            January 6, 2015Americans Still Worry About Population Growing Too Fast
The U.S. birthrate declined for the sixth straight year in 2014, but Americans are still more worried about the population growing too fast rather than too slow.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults believe a population growing too fast is a bigger problem for the United States than one that is growing too slowly. Just 22% disagree and think too-slow population growth is a bigger problem for the country. Twenty-seven percent (27%) 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 American Adults was conducted on January 2-3, 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 5, 2015Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 40%, Republicans 38%
Democrats and Republicans are closing out 2014 tied on the Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending December 28 finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican candidate in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while the same number (39%) would choose the Democrat 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 5, 2015Support Fades for Abortion Waiting Period
Most voters remain pro-choice when it comes to abortion, and fewer now think there should be a waiting period before allowing the procedure. But voters also don't attach as much importance to the abortion issue when they go to the polls.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters consider themselves pro-choice, while 36% say they are pro-life. (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 2, 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 5, 2015Voters Still Want Death Penalty for Boston Marathon Bomber
Jury selection begins today for the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev nearly two years after his arrest for the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013, and most voters agree that trials shouldn’t take place this long after a crime is committed. Despite the time lag, voters are still looking for the same outcome if the surviving suspect in the bombings is found guilty.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% think, generally speaking, trials should be held closer to the time the alleged crime took place. Just nine percent (9%) disagree, but 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 national survey of 800 Likely U.S. 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.