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June 14, 2013

57% Fear Government Will Use NSA Data to Harass Political Opponents

There is little public support for the sweeping and unaccountable nature of the National Security Agency surveillance program along with concerns about how the data will be used.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters nationwide believe it is likely the NSA data will be used by other government agencies to harass political opponents. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 30% consider it unlikely and 14% 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 June 12-13, 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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June 14, 2013

High Heels and Workers' Rights By Froma Harrop

One of the strangest artifacts of American culture is the spiked heel as a symbol of female power. Many waitresses at America's casinos feel otherwise.

June 14, 2013

Distrust of Government Is What It's All About by Scott Rasmussen

Another week, another controversy in official Washington. While each of these stories has its own cast of characters and internal dynamics, it is now possible to identify a unifying theme.

June 13, 2013

32% Are Willing to Pay More In Taxes to Keep Medicare As Is

Voters tend to believe it's not possible to keep Medicare going as is without a tax hike, but just one-in-three are willing to pay more in taxes to keep the government insurance program that way.  

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 34% of Likely Voters think it's possible to continue Medicare as it is today without raising taxes, up from 29% in June 2011.  But a plurality (42%) still doesn't think that's possible, while 24% more are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

How did you do in the latest Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard to find out

(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 June 10-11, 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.

June 13, 2013

64% Think Business Owners Should Be Able to Set Dress Codes for Customers

In towns all over the country, business owners, town officials and even judges are setting new dress code rules. A Tennessee judge has set conservative guidelines for female lawyers in the courtroom; banks in a Florida town have banned hats, hoods and sunglasses in an attempt to thwart robberies, and a New Jersey shore town has banned overly saggy pants on its boardwalk. 

Most American Adults (64%) agree that business owners should be allowed to establish dress codes for people who enter their facility, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 23% disagree. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

(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 June 11-12, 2013 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.

June 13, 2013

24% Trust Federal Government to Do Right Thing Most or All The Time

Talk about a trust deficit.Just one-in-four Likely U.S. Voters (24%) now has confidence that when the federal government acts it’s doing the right thing most or nearly all the time, but that includes just four percent (4%) who say it almost always does the right thing.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of voters disagree, with 47% who trust the federal government to do the right thing only some of the time and 28% who think it rarely or never does the right thing. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 10-11, 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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June 13, 2013

NSA Surveillance, If Ungentlemanly, Is Not Illegal By Michael Barone

"Gentlemen do not read each other's mail." That's what Secretary of State Henry Stimson said to explain why he shut down the government's cryptanalysis operations in 1929.    

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June 13, 2013

House Update: Tiny Movement Toward Republicans By Larry J. Sabato and Kyle Kondik

At this very early point in the 2014 race for the U.S. House, small Republican gains -- as in, less than five seats -- look likelier than a similarly small gain for Democrats. That’s because the Republican targets just look a little better than the Democratic ones.

June 13, 2013

20% of Workers Have Been Turned Down For A Job in Past Year

One-in-five working Americans say they've been passed over for a job in the past year, but nearly as many say they’ve turned down a job offer in the same period.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 20% of Employed Adults have been turned down for a job in the last 12 months. At the same time, 17% say they have turned down a job offer in the past year. (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 602 Employed Adults was conducted on June 7-8, 2013 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.

June 12, 2013

31% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-one percent (31%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, June 9.

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(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 June 3-9, 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.

June 12, 2013

Just 39% Think Medicare Is a Good Deal

Fewer voters than ever now see Medicare as a good deal and think they’ll receive all of their promised benefits.  But most still have a favorable opinion of the government insurance program for older Americans. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 39% of Likely Voters believe Medicare is a good deal for working Americans today.  That’s down from 50% in late December and is the lowest level measured since regular tracking began in November 2011. 

Thirty-three percent (33%) don’t think Medicare is a good deal, but another 28% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 10-11, 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.

June 12, 2013

Voters Rate Surveillance Controversy Most Serious, IRS Second

Voters now rate the federal government’s secret surveillance of millions of Americans’ phone calls as the most serious controversy in Washington, The Justice Department’s targeting of reporters and the Obama administration’s handling of events surrounding the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya are seen as the least serious.

Win an iPad:  Take the Rasmussen Challenge

(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 June 10-11, 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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June 12, 2013

Terror and Safety By John Stossel

This week, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the National Security Agency's data mining violates our Fourth Amendment right to be "secure in their persons, houses, papers" and is "tyranny that our founders rebelled against." Good for him.  

June 12, 2013

34% Think Americans Selfish for Putting Economy Ahead of Global Warming

Voters continue to recognize there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection and don’t view themselves as selfish for putting the economy first. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters believe there is a conflict between growing the economy and protecting the environment. Twenty-six percent (26%) don’t see any conflict between the two, but just as many (25%) 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 June 6-7, 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.

June 11, 2013

36% Give Obama Positive Marks for Economic Fairness

President Obama continues to draw low marks for his handling of deficit reduction and economic fairness.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 34% of Likely U.S. Voters give Obama good or excellent ratings for his handling of deficit reduction, tying last month’s all-time low in that area.  Forty-five percent (45%) think he is handling deficit reduction issues poorly. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Win an iPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge

(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 June 8-9, 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.

June 11, 2013

Unlike Senate ‘Gang of Eight,’ Voters Put More Border Control First

An immigration reform bill stalled in the U.S. Senate six years ago this month, but supporters expect this year’s model to pass two procedural votes as early as today to advance for further debate. Enhanced border security remains the number one immigration issue with voters but is a secondary issue for many supporters of the so-called “Gang of Eight” reform effort.

June 11, 2013

76% Are Satisfied With Their Current Job

Most working Americans have been with the same company for at least five years and remain satisfied with their current employment situation.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% of Employed Adults are at least somewhat satisfied with their current job, including 31% who are Very Satisfied.  Twenty-two percent (22%) are unsatisfied, but that includes just three percent (3%) who are Not At All Satisfied with their current employer.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Win an iPad:  The Rasmussen Challenge is now live!         

(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 602 Employed Adults was conducted on June 7-8, 2013 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.

June 11, 2013

Americans Still Have More Faith in Local Government Than in Feds, States

Americans continue to trust local government more than federal and state governments, but there’s a big difference of opinion based on party affiliation.  Thirty-four percent (34%) of American Adults have more faith in local government, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty percent (20%) trust the federal government more than the others, while 14% have more confidence in state government. But one-in-three (32%) are undecided. (To see question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 5-6, 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.

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June 11, 2013

Prop. 13: Message for Another Time By Froma Harrop

If the national tax revolt has bookends, the first bracket was placed 35 years ago this month. That's when California voters passed Proposition 13, a law curbing tax increases.   

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June 11, 2013

Citizens Stand and Fight the IRS By Mark Meckler

The NorCal Tea Party last month filed class action litigation against the Internal Revenue Service in federal court in Ohio, based on the unconstitutional profiling and harassment of conservative, religious and other liberty-minded organizations in their applications for non-profit status.   By its own admission, the IRS has been profiling and discriminating against hundreds of groups based on their political viewpoint.