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November 7, 2013

54% Favor Law Prohibiting Workplace Discrimination Against LGBT People

The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, although a plurality of voters don't see such discrimination as a serious problem. Most voters nationwide support the law, but one-in-three think certain religious organizations should be exempt from it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a law that outlaws discrimination in the workplace against transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Thirty percent (30%) oppose such a law, while 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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 5-6, 2012 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 7, 2013

A President Christie Would Spell Tea Party's Doom by Froma Harrop

Mainstream Republicans are doing backflips over Chris Christie's frolic to re-election as governor of New Jersey. Here is a Republican who took on public employee unions, spoke out against abortion and gay marriage, and still scored a landslide win in a blue state. And he won Latinos' and women's votes, too.   

November 7, 2013

Only 33% Think Most Judges Follow the Law in Their Rulings

Judges are often criticized for legislating from the bench, and just one-in-three voters now believes most judicial rulings follow the law as written.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters think most judges in their rulings try to make new law they like better. Only 33% believe most judges in their rulings follow the letter of the law. Nearly as many (28%) are not sure which is the case. (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 November 1-2, 2013 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 6, 2013

24% Say Country is Heading in Right Direction

The number of U.S. voters who feel the country is heading in the right direction remains above 20% for the second week in a row.

Twenty-four percent (24%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say that the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 3. This is virtually unchanged from last week but is still well below the high of 43% the week before Election Day one year ago. 

(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 October 28-November 3, 2013. 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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November 6, 2013

Privatize Everything By John Stossel

The market is fine for some things, people will say, but other activities are too important to be left to the market. Or too complicated. Or too fundamental to our democracy.

I say: Privatize everything.

November 6, 2013

New High: 75% Give Congress Poor Rating

The news goes from bad to worse for Congress, as voters offer their sharpest criticism of the legislature to date.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just seven percent (7%) of Likely Voters rate the job Congress is doing as good or excellent. Seventy-five percent (75%) now say Congress is doing a poor job. (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 3-4, 2013 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 6, 2013

47% Give Obama Poor Marks on Government Spending

With funding for the new health care law the focus of the government shutdown and the law's health insurance exchanges stumbling into existence, President Obama's positives - and negatives - have jumped when it comes to his handling of the health care issue.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate Obama's performance in this area as good or excellent, up nine points from 35% last month but in line with most previous surveys this year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that slightly more (47%) give the president poor marks for his handling of health care. That's an eight-point increase from September and a high for the year to date. (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 1-2, 2013 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 6, 2013

36% Favor Federal Bailout for Detroit, 45% Oppose

With Detroit's bankruptcy now being challenged in federal court, Americans are more supportive of a federal bailout to make sure retired public workers get their full pension benefits, even though most still expect more major cities to declare bankruptcy soon.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of American Adults now believe the federal government should bail out Detroit to make sure the pensions of the city's retired employees are paid in full. A plurality (45%) remains opposed to a federal bailout of Detroit. 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 survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 2-3, 2013 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 5, 2013

Americans Say 18 Is Old Enough to Vote or Be in Military, But Not to Smoke

Most Americans think even though someone is old enough to vote or die for their country, they're not mature enough yet to decide whether they want to smoke. 

Only 29% of American Adults favor raising the current voting age from 18 to 21, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Sixty-four percent (64%) oppose raising the legal age to vote. (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 October 31-November 1, 2013 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 5, 2013

Rasmussen Employment Index Falls to Further Low

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence fell another point in October to a new low for the year. 

At 81.2, worker confidence is down one point from September and down 13 points from this year’s high of 94.4 in May.  This is the lowest level of confidence measured since last November but still up slightly from 79.9 this time 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 survey of 9,625 working Americans was conducted in October 2013 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.

November 5, 2013

26% Favor U.S. Military Action if Syria Fails to Destroy Its Chemical Weapons

Voters generally don’t trust Syria to get rid of all of its chemical weapons as promised, but they still don’t support U.S. military action there even if that's the case.

Thirty-two percent (32%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Syria will destroy all its chemical weapons capabilities on schedule as promised, including just eight percent (8%) who say it’s Very Likely. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 58% think Syria is not likely to eliminate all of its chemical weapons on schedule, with 24% who say it’s Not At All Likely to do so. Ten percent (10%) aren’t 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 3-4, 2013 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 5, 2013

Audacious Wildcatters Trigger Fracking Revolution by Michael Barone

Capitalism, said economist Joseph Schumpeter seven decades ago, is a process of creative destruction. New inventions, new processes, new methods of organization lead to the creation of new profitable and efficient businesses and to the destruction of old ones unable to compete.   

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November 5, 2013

Americans Keep Moving to States With Low Taxes and Housing Costs by Michael Barone

Where are Americans moving, and why? Timothy Noah, writing in the Washington Monthly, professes to be puzzled. He points out that people have been moving out of states with high per capita incomes -- Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland -- to states with lower income levels.

"Why are Americans by and large moving away from economic opportunity rather than toward it?" he asks.

November 5, 2013

50% Think Feds Likely to Have Looked at Internet Activity of Someone in Their Family

Americans recognize there is no way to guarantee the privacy of their Internet searches, and one-out-of-two now think it's likely the government has trolled their Internet activity or that of someone in their family. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Americans who use the Internet at least occasionally consider their Internet communications at least somewhat private now, with 21% who feel they are Very Private. Twenty-eight percent (28%) think their Internet activity is not private, with eight percent (8%) who say it is Not At All Private. (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 November 2-3, 2013 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 4, 2013

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 43%, Republicans 37%

Democrats continue to maintain a six-point lead over Republicans on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, November 3.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 37% would choose the Republican 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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from October 28-November 3, 2013. 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

November 4, 2013

35% Think U.S. Elections Are Fair

Fewer voters than ever think U.S. elections are fair, with just one-in-10 who now believe members of Congress get reelected because of the good job they do.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 35% of Likely U.S. Voters now think American elections are fair to voters, down from August’s previous low of 39% which marked the first time that number had fallen below 40%. Prior to that, it had run in the 40s to low 50s in surveys since September 2004. Nearly half of voters (47%) think American elections are unfair, the highest negative finding in nine years of polling. Eighteen percent (18%) 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 Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 30-31, 2013 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 4, 2013

36% Favor A Stop and Frisk Law Where They Live

Just over one-out-of-three voters favor a stop and frisk law like New York City’s and think such a law actually fights crime.

The New York City law allows police to stop and frisk anyone on the street whom they consider suspicious, but 50% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose having a stop and frisk law where they live. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% favor such a law, 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 1-2, 2013 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 3, 2013

44% View Sebelius Unfavorably

Just over a year ago, most voters didn't know enough about Kathleen Sebelius to have any kind of opinion of her, even though the secretary of Health and Human Services was in the powerful position of implementing the new national health care law. Now that Obamacare's off to a troubled start, a plurality of voters don't care much for her. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of Sebelius, including nine percent (9%) with a Very Favorable one. But 44% share an unfavorable opinion of the HHS secretary, with 31% who view her Very Unfavorably. One-in-three (32%) still aren't 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 30-31, 2013 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 2, 2013

What They Told Us: Week Ending November 2

Zombie nation?  For a sizable number of Americans, it’s a better alternative than the government we’ve got.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of American Adults believe zombies would do a better job than the federal government running the country today. An equal number (37%) have more confidence in the feds, but another 26% can’t decide between the two.

This should come as no surprise given that 64% of Likely U.S. Voters now view the federal government unfavorably, with 34% who have a Very Unfavorable opinion of it.

Case in point: Obamacare, which is off to such a shambling start that even some Democrats are questioning it.

November 1, 2013

36% Think There's Still A Need for Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, but nearly half of Americans no longer think it’s necessary.

For the most part, American adults (85%) know they will move their clocks an hour backward this weekend to signify the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST). Eleven percent (11%) think they will move their clocks forward, according to a new 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 was conducted on October 29-30, 2013 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.