What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending April 11, 2015
If news reports are to be believed, Hillary Clinton will finally make it official this weekend and formally declare her candidacy for president of the United States.
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April 11, 2015
April 10, 2015
Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 40%, Democrats 37%
Republicans are still ahead on the Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending April 9 finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican candidate in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 37% would choose the Democrat instead. Twenty-three percent (23%) prefer a third-party candidate or are undecided.
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now--there are only a few days left!]
(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 2,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from April 5-9, 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.
April 10, 2015
Regular Fast-Food Diners Don't Want to Pay More to Raise Minimum Wage
Fast food giant McDonald’s recently announced it will raise its hourly wage by more than 10% starting this July. But Americans aren’t thrilled about the possibility of paying higher prices for fast food to support those higher salaries.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of American Adults rarely or never eat at fast-food restaurants. Fifty-one percent (51%) eat at such restaurants at least two to three times a month, unchanged from last October. This includes 29% who eat fast food at least once a week. Twenty-two percent (22%) say they eat at a fast-food restaurant every now and then. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
(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 April 2 & 5, 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.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
April 10, 2015
Most Voters Expect Both Parties to Pick Presidential Candidates They Don’t Agree With
Looking ahead to next year’s presidential contest, most voters expect more of the same: two candidates with whom they have very little in common.
This marks little or no change from how voters looked at the major party presidential candidates in past elections. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now--there are only a few days left!]
(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 April 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.
April 10, 2015
Should MLB Reinstate Pete Rose?
Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose has formally asked new Commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement into Major League Baseball, and most baseball fans think that request should be granted. They also feel even more strongly that Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Baseball Fans think MLB should reinstate Rose, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-five percent (25%) disagree, while 15% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
(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 600 Baseball Fans was conducted on March 31-April 1, 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.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
April 9, 2015
How Do GOP Voters Rate Rand Paul’s Chances?
Republican voters rate Rand Paul’s chances of getting the GOP presidential nomination as about the same as Ted Cruz’s at this early stage of the game. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
(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 April 7-8, 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.
April 9, 2015
61% Think Iran Unlikely To Honor Nuclear Treaty With U.S.
Voters are almost evenly divided over the framework deal the Obama administration has cut with Iran to slow the latter’s nuclear weapons program. But most doubt that Iran will abide by its terms or that its compliance can be verified by the United States.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the agreement the United States has reached with Iran that ends some economic sanctions on that country in exchange for verifiable cutbacks in Iran’s nuclear weapons program. But slightly more (41%) oppose that deal. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
(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 April 7-8, 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.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
April 9, 2015
More Is Not Merrier in Our Congested Cities by Froma Harrop
New York and San Francisco are expensive places to live. That's a big problem for the nation because these cities are centers for the booming knowledge economy. High housing costs discourage this growth.
April 9, 2015
2016 Republican Nomination: The Race “Officially” Begins by Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley
Last week, a Crystal Ball reader sent us an e-mail asking if now would be the time to remove “low name ID nationally” from our list of negatives for possible presidential aspirant Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN). We absolutely agree, given the turmoil surrounding Indiana’s new religious freedom law: There’s little question that name identification is no longer a problem for the Hoosier State governor.
April 9, 2015
Who Tops America's Enemies List?
Current events appear to be coloring the views Americans have of a couple longtime foes. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
(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 Adults was conducted on March 29-30, 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.
April 8, 2015
More Voters Think It's Too Easy to Get An Abortion
The gap between pro-choice and pro-life voters has narrowed from recent surveys, and belief that getting an abortion in this country is too easy is stronger than it has been in over a year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters now consider themselves pro-choice, while 41% 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
April 8, 2015
Americans Favor Government Water Control But Don’t Trust It
Americans approve of California’s state-mandated water restrictions in the face of an ongoing drought, even though most don’t trust the government to administer the regulations fairly. They also suspect more action will be necessary. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
(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 April 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.
April 8, 2015
Voters Prefer New Energy Sources to Nuclear Power
Voters remain conflicted over the construction of new nuclear plants in the United States and still tend to think that money would be better spent on new sources of energy.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters think more nuclear power plants should be built in the United States, but just as many (38%) disagree. This shows little change from September. One-in-four (24%) 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 30-31, 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.
[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]
April 7, 2015
Support Is Still There for Raising the Minimum Wage
Most Americans still support raising the minimum wage, even though just over half don’t know exactly what the minimum wage currently is.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults favor an increase in the minimum wage. Thirty-two percent (32%) are opposed, while 13% 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 American Adults was conducted on April 2 & 5, 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.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
April 7, 2015
Good People Sometimes Back Bad Laws By Froma Harrop
A law in Indiana and a bill in Arkansas making life harder for their gay neighbors have lost their wheels in a surprising smashup. Business interests, usually associated with the conservative cause, lowered the boom on "religious freedom" legislation supported by social conservatives.
April 7, 2015
Goodbye, Harry: Voters Reflect Poorly on Reid
Voters won't be sorry to see Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid go, and that includes members of his own party. But Democratic voters aren’t exactly sold on his likely replacement either. (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 April 1-2, 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.
April 7, 2015
Most U.S. 21st Century Population Growth Came in Just 27 Metro Areas By Michael Barone
It's springtime, and the Census Bureau has released its population estimates for counties and metropolitan areas as of July 1, 2014. Initial analysis has focused on year-to-year movements or changes since the 2010 Census -- subjects worthy of attention.
But it's also interesting to take a longer look, to see where population has been booming over the 14 years since 2000, one-seventh of the 21st century. The headline here is that growth has been concentrated in relatively few large metropolitan areas.
April 6, 2015
29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-nine percent (29%) 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 April 2.
This finding is unchanged from the previous week but up two points from the week before that which marked the lowest level of confidence this year. The number of voters who think the country is heading in the right direction has been 30% or higher most weeks since mid-December after generally being in the mid- to high 20s since mid-June 2013.
(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 2,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from March 29-April 2, 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.
April 6, 2015
Baseball is Back: What Are Your Picks?
Anything can happen in Major League Baseball’s long season, but fans have some early picks for which team is likely to win this year's World Series.
This Opening Day, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 16% of Baseball Fans think the St. Louis Cardinals will win the World Series this year, while 10% say that of the Los Angeles Dodgers. No other team reaches double-digits. But nine percent (9%) think the Boston Red Sox will be this year’s champs, and eight percent (8%) each say that about the Washington Nationals and the Seattle Mariners.
Six percent (6%) think the Los Angeles Angels will emerge victorious this season, with no other team reaching five percent (5%). Only four percent (4%) think the reigning champions, the San Francisco Giants, will win again this year. Twenty-four percent (24%) of fans either pick a team not mentioned in the survey or 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 600 Baseball Fans was conducted on March 31-April 1, 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.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
