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                            December 2, 2014Taking A Closer Look at Black Friday's Sales
Although one-in-three expected to take advantage of Black Friday sales deals last week, slightly fewer actually ended up braving the holiday shopping crowds. A lot also say they ended up buying things mostly for themselves instead of holiday gifts.
Twenty-two percent (22%) of American Adults say they went shopping on Black Friday, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. (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 nationwide was conducted on November 30-December 1, 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.

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                            December 2, 2014Rasmussen Employment Index Hits Six-Year High
The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence reached a six-year high in November.
At 102.4, worker confidence is up three points from 99.4 in October and up one point from the previous high of 101.2 in August. 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 9,567 working Americans was conducted in November 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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                            December 2, 2014Holiday Shopping Kicks In To Overdrive
Off we go! The number of Americans who have started their holiday shopping has jumped dramatically following the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales weekend.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults have now started to shop for the holidays. That’s up 20 points from 34% two weeks ago and up six points from the 48% who had begun holiday shopping by this time last year. Forty-four percent (44%) still haven’t begun shopping yet. (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 nationwide was conducted on November 30-December 1, 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.
December 2, 2014Democratic Takeover of Senate in 2016 Possible but Not a Slam Dunk by Michael Barone
Even as Republicans are about to regain a majority in the Senate after eight years in the minority, the conventional wisdom around Washington is that Democrats are likely to win back that majority again in 2016. That's certainly possible, but it's short of a slam dunk.
December 2, 2014Obamacare and the Middle Class By Froma Harrop
Few truly appreciate the enormous economic benefits the Affordable Care Act will deliver to the American people over time, the middle class included. But you'd expect New York's seasoned Democratic senator, Charles Schumer, to "get it" rather than belittle the 2010 federal health care law as a political inconvenience for his party.
Amazingly, Schumer recently complained that reforms affected only "a small percentage of the electorate." Has he any idea what's going on -- I mean beyond the calculations of the most recent election, the planning for the next?

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                            December 2, 2014How Many Are Willing to Renounce Their U.S. Citizenship?
Few Americans have ever thought about giving up their U.S. citizenship, but a plurality still thinks U.S. citizens should be able to be citizens of more than one country.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only nine percent (9%) of U.S. citizens have considered renouncing their American citizenship, little changed from a year ago. (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 November 21-22, 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.

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                            December 1, 2014Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 41%, Democrats 40%
Republicans are still out front on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 30 finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat.
(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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from November 24-25 and November 30, 2014. 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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                            December 1, 2014Obama Full-Month Approval Steady for Third Month in a Row
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.  
While his party took a shellacking at the polls in early November, the president’s monthly job approval held steady at 47% for the third month in a row, showing no change from September and October. It's up two points from his two-year low of 45% reached in November 2013 during the troubled rollout period for the new national health care law. Obama’s approval rating hit a year-to-date high of 49% in February and May.
(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.
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 15,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

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                            December 1, 2014How Should Congress React to Obama's Immigration Plan?
As members of Congress return to work, nearly half of voters still want them to stop President Obama’s new plan to protect up to five million illegal immigrants from deportation.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters think Congress should try to find ways to stop the president’s plan of allowing these illegal immigrants to stay in this country legally and apply for jobs. Forty-three percent (43%) believe Congress should allow this decision to stand. (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 November 30, 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.

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                            December 1, 2014Obamacare – Back from the Brink of Repeal?
Most voters for the first time want Congress to fix the new national health care law rather than repeal it.
Given the problems with the new law, 30% of Likely U.S. Voters still think Congress should repeal it entirely and start over again. But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% prefer instead that Congress go through the law piece by piece and improve it. Just 13% want to leave the law as is. (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 November 30, 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.

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                            November 30, 201446% Think Justice System Fair to Blacks, 39% Disagree
A plurality of voters still believes the U.S. justice system is fair to black and Hispanic Americans following the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown shooting case in Ferguson, Missouri. But there also continues to be a wide difference of opinion between whites and other voters.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the night the verdict was announced and the night after finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters feel the justice system is fair to these Americans. But 39% disagree and say the system is not fair to blacks and Hispanics, the highest finding on this question in regular surveying since June 2010. 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 telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on November 24-25, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey 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.

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                            November 29, 2014What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls -- Week Ending November 29, 2014
Did Thanksgiving come just in time? After outrage over the expected yet controversial grand jury decision in Ferguson and contention over the president’s executive action on immigration, perhaps Americans needed a day to step back and reflect.
On Monday, the St. Louis County Grand Jury decided not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown back in August. Prior to the decision, most Americans didn’t expect Wilson to be charged with murder, and half said the U.S. Justice Department should not try to charge him for federal crimes related to the Brown shooting.

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                            November 28, 2014Few Think Founding Fathers Would Consider America A Success
If America’s founders came back today, would they be impressed or disappointed?
A new Rasmussen Reports shows that 36% of American Adults think the Founding Fathers would consider the United States a success. But a plurality (46%) believes the Founders - a group that generally includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, among others - would view the nation as a failure instead. Eighteen percent (18%) 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 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 21-22, 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.
November 28, 2014Pelosi's Grip Seems to Have Weakened By Michael Barone
No one in Washington much cares what House Democrats do these days. House rules tend to ensure that the main job of members of the minority is to show up, vote "no" and lose. And in the next Congress, Democrats will have fewer seats in the House than they've had since 1929 and 1930.

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                            November 28, 2014It's a Familiar Holiday Refrain: Charge It!
Whether they are among the one-third of likely Black Friday shoppers or not, just over half of Americans say they won't be putting their holiday purchases on plastic this year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of American Credit Card Holders plan to pay for most of their holiday gifts this year with a credit card. But 51% do not intend to pay that way. Six percent (6%) 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. 
This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 23-24, 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.

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                            November 27, 2014Americans Give Thanks
An overwhelming majority of Americans have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving which many will be spending at home.
Just 49% of American Adults consider Thanksgiving one of the nation’s most important holidays, but 84% think they have a lot to be thankful for today, little changed from last year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only four percent (4%) consider Thanksgiving Day one of the least important holidays, while 45% rate it somewhere in between. (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 survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 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.

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                            November 26, 201426% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 23.
For the previous three weeks, this finding held steady at 27%. The number of voters who think the country is on the right course has now ranged from 23% to 27% nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.
(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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from November 17-23, 2014. 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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                            November 26, 2014More Americans Have Thanksgiving Travel Plans
One-in-four Americans plan to be out of town this Thanksgiving.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% of American Adults plan to travel away from home over the long holiday weekend, up from 22% last year and 18% in 2012. (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 survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 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.

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                            November 26, 2014Just 28% Favor Expanded U.S. Combat Role in Afghanistan
Voters aren’t enthusiastic about President Obama’s plan to expand the military's fighting mission in Afghanistan, but they’re slightly more confident an American win is possible in the nation’s longest-running war.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now consider Afghanistan a vital national security interest for the United States, up slightly from 32% in February and 36% in late May. Just as many (39%) disagree, but that’s down from 48% six months ago. A sizable 22% are still 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 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.
November 26, 2014Thanks, Property Rights! By John Stossel
This Thanksgiving, I give thanks for something our forebears gave us: property rights.
People associate property rights with greed and selfishness, but they are keys to our prosperity. Things go wrong when resources are held in common.