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September 5, 2014Voters Don’t Want U.S. Troops Fighting ISIS Without International Help
Voters show even more support for continued airstrikes in Iraq against the radical Islamic group ISIS despite a second public beheading of a U.S. journalist in retaliation for those strikes. Nearly half now support sending U.S. combat troops to fight ISIS as part of an international coalition but are less enthused about U.S. troops fighting alone.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely Voters believe the United States should continue its airstrikes against the radical Islamic group ISIS. Just 13% think the United States should discontinue the airstrikes to protect other Americans in the region. (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 September 3-4, 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.
September 5, 2014Democrats Look Increasingly Like the Party of the Past by Michael Barone
Liberals like to think and talk about themselves as if they were the wave of the future. Note, for example, how Barack Obama and John Kerry have denounced Islamist terrorists and Vladimir Putin for behaving as if they are still in the "19th century."

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                            September 5, 2014How Important Is It on Election Day if A Congressman Voted for Obamacare?
Voters are more skeptical than ever that Obamacare can be fixed any time soon but remain almost evenly divided on the impact the health care law will have on their voting decisions this November.
Thirty-five percent (35%) of Likely U.S. Voters say they are more likely to vote for a member of Congress who supports the law, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Slightly more (38%) say they are less likely to vote for an Obamacare supporter. Nineteen percent (19%) say a Congress member’s position on the law will have no impact on their voting decision.  (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 September 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.

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                            September 4, 2014Americans Are More Optimistic About Job Market
Americans are a bit more optimistic about the current job picture and future job prospects.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 30% of American Adults think that the current job market is better than it was one year ago. This is up five points from July and is the highest level of optimism in over a year. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say it’s worse now, the lowest finding since January. Forty percent (40%) feel the job market is about the same as it was 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 and Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 2-3, 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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                            September 4, 201442% Say More Money Won't Improve Student Achievement
Voters remain strongly pro-choice when it comes to giving parents options on the kind of school they want their children to attend.
But they still give U.S. public schools mediocre grades, with just 28% of Likely U.S. Voters who rate their performance as good or excellent. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that slightly more (30%) rate the performance of the public schools as poor. This is in keeping with regular surveying for the past couple years. (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 August 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.

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                            September 4, 2014Americans Say Schools Can't Make All Students Top Achievers
Common Core and other government-driven education efforts set universal excellence as their goal, but Americans overwhelmingly agree that no set of standards can ensure that all students reach the top.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% of American Adults believe that any set of education standards can guarantee that all students will achieve excellence. Seventy percent (70%) disagree and say no set of standards can guarantee that. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure.
Adults with children of elementary or second school age are only slightly more optimistic: 18% think a set of education standards can ensure excellence, but 70% in this group disagree. (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 August 31-September 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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                            September 4, 2014Louisiana Senate: Cassidy (R) 44%, Landrieu (D) 41%
Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy has edged ahead of incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu in Louisiana’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race. 
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Louisiana Voters finds Cassidy with 44% of the vote and Landrieu with 41%. Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate in the race, while 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. The survey of 800 Likely Voters in Louisiana was conducted on September 2-3, 2014 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.
September 4, 2014Celebs Nix Nude Pix: Whose Problem? By Froma Harrop
The FBI is looking into what millions of people are looking at: hacked photos of naked celebrities. Pictures from the formerly private collections of Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera and others are being posted for the world to see.   
September 4, 20142016 Presidential Update: For Republicans, a Vacancy at the Top By Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley
It’s lonely at the top of the Republican field — like, “top of Mt. Everest” lonely.
In our latest shuffle of the 2016 Crystal Ball presidential outlook, we’ve decided that the Republican first tier is…empty. Our Republican friends might object, but deep down, we think they would be hard-pressed to argue for any single name to head this long list: There’s simply no one in the field who is clearly more likely to get the nomination than a half-dozen or more others.

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                            September 3, 201425% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-five percent (25%) 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 August 31.
This is up two points from the week before which tied the lowest level of confidence since last October during the temporary government shutdown. The number who say the country is heading in the right direction has been below 30% for most of this 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 August 25-31, 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.

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                            September 3, 2014Kentucky Senate: McConnell (R) 46%, Grimes (D) 41%
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell still holds the lead in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Kentucky Voters finds McConnell with 46% support to Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes’ 41%. Seven percent (7%) like some other candidate, and 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.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Kentucky was conducted on September 1-2, 2014 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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                            September 3, 2014Most Parents Oppose Tying Federal School Funds to Common Core
Support for the new national Common Core education standards has rebounded among parents of school-age children, but they still question whether it will improve academic performance. Most oppose requiring states to adopt the standards in order to receive federal school monies.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of American Adults with elementary or secondary school age children now favor requiring that all schools nationwide meet the same Common Core education standards. Forty-six percent (46%) are opposed. (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 August 31-September 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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                            September 3, 2014“Whopper” of a Deal: Americans Weigh in on Burger King Move
The Obama administration and others have criticized a developing merger between Burger King and Canadian chain Tim Hortons over the fast-food burger chain's intention to move its headquarters to a country with lower corporate tax rates, though Burger King argues that is not the case. However, a plurality of American Adults say the government should not be able to stop a company from moving its headquarters to another country to reduce its tax load.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Adults believe the federal government should not be able to stop U.S. businesses from moving out of the country to reduce their U.S. taxes, but 37% disagree. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure.
 
 Forty-one percent (41%) have a favorable impression of Burger King, while 47% view the chain unfavorably. This includes 12% with a Very Favorable impression of the 60 year-old burger chain and 21% with a Very Unfavorable opinion. (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 August 29-30, 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.
September 3, 2014The 'Spiral of Silence' by Froma Harrop
With folks yapping all day on social media -- Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and the rest -- how can there be such a thing as a "spiral of silence" online?

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                            September 3, 2014Voters Think Congress Cheats to Get Reelected
Most voters still think Congress is doing a poor job and believe most of its members only get reelected because a fix is in.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just six percent (6%) of Likely U.S. Voters think Congress is doing a good or excellent job, unchanged from a month ago. Sixty-five percent (65%) rate its performance as poor. (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 August 28-29, 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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                            September 2, 2014Americans Like Mowing Their Lawns
Believe it or not, most Americans take pleasure in mowing their lawns.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 84% of American Adults own or rent a home for which they are responsible for the upkeep. (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 August 27-28, 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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                            September 2, 2014Rasmussen Employment Index Reaches New High in August
The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence reached a new all-time high in August after falling for two months in a row.
At 101.2, worker confidence is up nearly three points from July’s 98.4 and marks the highest finding in six years of regular tracking. The index reached its previous high in May at 100.1. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 last October but gained steadily after that. It stood at 86.5 in August of last year.
Generally speaking, an increase in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government report on job creation will be stronger than the prior month’s reports.

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                            September 2, 2014Obama’s Full-Month Approval Remains at 2014 Low
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.  
The president’s monthly job approval rating held steady at 46% in August for the second month in a row and remains his lowest monthly approval rating this year. It's up just a point from his two-year low of 45% reached in November 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.
September 2, 201473% Worry About Obama’s Lack of Strategy for ISIS
Voters regard the radical Islamic terrorist group ISIS as a major threat to the United States and are very worried that President Obama doesn’t have a strategy for dealing with the problem. They remain reluctant to send U.S. troops back to Iraq to take on ISIS, but support is growing.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of Likely U.S. Voters consider the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) a serious threat to this country. Just 13% disagree, while another 20% are not sure. (To see survey questions 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 August 30-31, 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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                            September 2, 2014Is the Internet Killing Public Libraries?
Though a majority of Americans say they’ve used a public library in the past year, the number who believes public libraries will still be relevant in 25 years has dipped considerably from six years ago. The Internet is the research option of choice for most now.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American Adults have used a public library in the past year, including 27% who have done so in the past month. Another 19% have used a public library within the last five years, while 20% last did so more than five years 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 Adults nationwide was conducted on August 27-28, 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.