Things are spinning out of control. Out of control, at least, by government, and by the United States government in particular. You don't have to spend much time reading the news -- or monitoring your Twitter feed -- to get that impression. Armed fighting in Ukraine. Islamic State beheadings in Iraq and Syria. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong.
Voters continue to hold a negative view of the federal government and most say they want the era of big government to end.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the federal government, unchanged from August. This finding includes only four percent (4%) who have a Very Favorable opinion. Sixty-four percent (64%) view the federal government unfavorably, also unchanged from previous survey. This finding includes 27% who have a Very Unfavorable view. Four percent (4%) 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 7-8, 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.
While Ebola, enterovirus and ISIS dominate the headlines, most Americans rate their lives positively.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of American Adults now consider their own life good or excellent. This is unchanged from 2012 but up from 61% in October 2010. Just eight percent (8%) say their life is poor. This is also unchanged from 2012 but down slightly from 11% two years earlier. (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 October 6-7, 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.
Fewer voters than ever think either major political party has a plan for the nation’s future, with most still convinced that neither represents the American people.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is fair to say that neither party in Congress is the party of the American people. Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree, but 20% 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 orFacebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 7-8, 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.
Even if Africa's Ebola emergency never mutates into a global catastrophe, those of us who live in the world's most fortunate country ought to consider what this fearsome virus can teach us. The lessons are quite obvious at this point -- and contain implications that are political in the most urgent sense.
As the winners of this year's Nobel Prizes continue to be announced this week, Americans remain skeptical about the politics behind the process and question President Obama’s Peace Prize win in 2009.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults think politics play a role in the awarding of Nobel Prizes. Just 17% disagree, but 30% 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 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 6-7, 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.
Governors frequently report on the state of their states, but what’s the state of the governors? To judge by many of the ongoing gubernatorial campaigns, it’s not great. Out of 36 contests, one governor (Neil Abercrombie, Democrat of Hawaii) has already lost his primary, another is headed for almost-certain defeat next month (Tom Corbett, Republican of Pennsylvania), and 10 others are in toss-up or close “lean” races.
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 October 5.
The number who say the country is heading in the right direction is up four points from the previous week and is the highest finding since early June. This number has been below 30% most weeks during the past 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 on September 30-October 5, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Voters don’t hold much hope for the Class of 2015 – most say high school graduates today don’t have the skills for either college or the workforce.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 22% of Likely U.S. Voters think most high school graduates today have the skills needed for college. This is up slightly from May and in line with findings from earlier this year. Fifty-nine percent (59%) disagree, down eight points from May, which was the highest level of concern about high schoolers’ college readiness to date. Twenty percent (20%) 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 5-6, 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.
Despite ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, American voters don’t think the U.S. government should be doing more to support the movement. But most also agree that America overlooks many abuses by the Chinese government because of that country’s economic power.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Obama administration should be doing more to support pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. Forty-one percent (41%) disagree, but just as many (38%) 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 Likely Voters was conducted on October 5-6, 2014 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.
The critical North Carolina Senate race has tightened up with less than a month to go until Election Day.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely North Carolina Voters finds incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan earning 48% support to Republican challenger Thom Tillis’ 46%. Two percent (2%) prefer another candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) remain 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 970 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on October 6-7, 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.
Americans strongly believe someone needs to be convicted of a crime before their property can be seized, even though that’s contrary to current federal law and police practice.
After all, 84% of American Adults agree with the basic principle of criminal justice in this country that even someone charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 11% think someone is guilty until proven innocent. (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 October 2-3, 2014 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.
Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared "War on Poverty." It sounded great to me. I was taught at Princeton, "We're a rich country. All we have to do is tax the rich, and then use that money to create programs that will lift the poor out of poverty." Government created job-training programs for the strong and expanded social security for the weak.
It seemed to work. The poverty rate dropped from 17 percent to 12 percent in the programs' first decade. Unfortunately, few people noticed that during the half-decade before the "War," the rate dropped from 22 percent to 17 percent. Without big government, Americans were already lifting themselves out of poverty!
Most Americans exercise at least once a week and believe it’s important for a healthy life.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that an overwhelming 86% of American Adults consider exercise at least somewhat important to their daily lives, with 39% who view it as Very Important. Most adults have consistently said exercise is important in their daily life in surveys since 2006. Only 13% consider exercise not very or Not At All 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.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on September 30-October 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.
Flu season is back, and more Americans than ever plan to do something about it.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American Adults say they intend to get a flu shot this year. That's up six points from last year and the highest finding since we first started asking this question in 2006. Thirty-five percent (35%) don’t plan on getting a shot this year, down from 44% a year ago. Seven percent (7%) 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 October 4-5, 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.
Americans strongly oppose the practice of eminent domain that allows government to seize private property for public use. Perhaps in large part that’s because they don’t trust government in general.
Just 15% of Americans Adults favor eminent domain, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Sixty-six percent (66%) oppose the law that allows government to seize an individual’s land for public use including the construction of public buildings and even commercial development. 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 national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 2-3, 2014 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.
"Even opposition lawmakers who have spent the last six years fighting his every initiative have expressed deep worry for his security."
Though the recent security lapses by the Secret Service have been highly publicized, many voters think they are just the tip of the iceberg. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the recent mistakes in the Secret Service’s protection of the president were isolated incidents. Fifty-three percent (53%) think mistakes are more common than have been reported. Another 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 telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on October 3-4, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
I was hungry and between flights at Atlanta's airport, "the world's busiest." So I wandered the corridor looking for a clean place to sit and eat something not dripping in grease.
Voters have become more accepting of women and gay and lesbian soldiers taking larger roles in the U.S. military than they have been in the past.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters say the growing role of women in the military services is good for the military, tying February’s high, though that number has stayed in the narrow 45% to 49% range since polling began in late 2013. Just 15% now think women’s growing roles are bad for the military, down from 17%. One-in-three (30%) think it has no impact on the U.S. military. (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 October 1-2, 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.
