Why Freight Rail Pays and Passenger Trains Flunk By Michael Barone
Forty years ago, American railroads were in trouble. The Penn Central, the largest railroad, had recently gone bankrupt.
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April 1, 2013
April 1, 2013
66% Oppose Cyprus Bailout Plan to Tax Bank Deposits
Most Americans don’t approve of the decision to tax bank accounts as part of a bank bailout in Cyprus but think it’s likely other European countries will resort to similar plans to fight their massive deficit problems.
March 31, 2013
47% Will Attend Religious Service to Celebrate Easter
Belief in the importance of Easter is down slightly, but nearly half of Americans still will attend a religious service to celebrate the holiday.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of American Adults consider Easter one of the nation’s most important holidays, down from the mid- to upper 40s for the last several years. Just 18% think it’s one of the least important holidays, and 40% see it as somewhere in between. (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 Adults was conducted on March 23-24, 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.
March 30, 2013
24% Think Poverty Very Severe in U.S.
Most Americans continue to see poverty as a problem in the United States, but few actually claim they are living in poverty.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of American Adults think poverty is at least somewhat severe in this country. That's down nine points from 80% in September but includes 24% who say it is Very Severe. Twenty-three percent (23%) think poverty in the United States is not very or Not at All Severe. (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 March 25-26, 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.
March 30, 2013
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending March 30, 2013
President Obama is focusing on immigration reform once again, a move signaled by his appearance on two Spanish language television networks this past week.
March 29, 2013
2013 World Series Champion is Anyone’s Guess
The field of contenders to win the World Series is wide open as the 2013 Major League Baseball season gets under way this weekend.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 11% of Baseball Fans think the Los Angeles Angels will win the World Series this year, but just as many (11%) say the Detroit Tigers will redeem themselves from last year’s series loss. Ten percent (10%) believe the San Francisco Giants will win a second straight championship, but nine percent (9%) think the Washington Nationals will bring a title to the nation’s capital. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.
The national survey of 500 Baseball Fans was conducted on March 25-26, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
March 29, 2013
64% Believe Jesus Christ Rose From the Dead
Easter is Sunday, and most Americans still strongly believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on that day.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults believe Jesus rose from the dead, while 19% reject the central Christian tenet of the Resurrection. Seventeen percent (17%) 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 March 23-24, 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.
March 29, 2013
Americans Favor Work Over Welfare As Response to Poverty
Americans overwhelmingly agree that the best way to stay out of poverty is to work and like the idea of shifting government money spent on welfare programs to jobs for the poor.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 80% of American Adults agree with the statement, “Work is the best solution for poverty.” Only nine percent (9%) disagree, while 11% are not sure. (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 Adults nationwide was conducted on March 25-26, 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.
March 29, 2013
Cats vs. Dingoes By Froma Harrop
The fight goes on. Whether cats are bird-killing machines or soft balls of love (for themselves, anyway) remains a subject of painful debate.
March 29, 2013
What Happens After Immigrants Arrive Is Important, Too By Scott Rasmussen
Sixty-eight percent of voters believe that, when done legally, immigration is good for America. Most voters for years have favored a welcoming policy of immigration. Unlike many issues these days, there is virtually no partisan disagreement.
These facts raise a question that should make everyone in official Washington uncomfortable. If immigration is good for America and there is support across party lines, why can't the politicians figure out a way to come up with something that works?
March 28, 2013
Fans Tap Louisville As Eventual NCAA Champs
The men’s NCAA basketball tournament is down to the final sixteen teams and overall number one seed Louisville remains the fans’ choice to win the championship.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of 658 NCAA Tournament Fans shows that 24% think that the Louisville Cardinals will win their third NCAA championship, and their first since 1986. Nineteen percent (19%) believe the Indiana Hoosiers will capture the title and 18% say the University of Kansas Jayhawks will walk home the winner. No other team left in the tournament received more than seven percent (7%) support. (To see survey question wording, click here).
How did you do in the new Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard to find out.
The survey of 658 NCAA Tournament Fans was conducted on March 25-26, 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.
March 28, 2013
58% Favor Building the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
The U.S. State Department is expected to give the Keystone XL pipeline the go-ahead later this year after reviewing environmental concerns. Most voters continue to support constructing the oil pipeline from western Canada to Texas, and they are more confident this can be done without hurting the environment.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters favor building the pipeline, while 26% are opposed. This includes 34% who Strongly Favor the pipeline and 12% who Strongly Oppose it. (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 March 26-27, 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.
March 28, 2013
64% Think Too Many Are Dependent on Government Aid
Americans continue to believe that too many of their fellow citizens are financially dependent on the government, but they’re less critical of programs to help the poor.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults think there are too many Americans dependent on the government for financial aid. Only eight percent (8%) believe not enough Americans are dependent on this aid, while 17% feel the level of dependency is about right. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (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 Adults nationwide was conducted on March 25-26, 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.
March 28, 2013
Without Fear or Favor: the Heresies and Vindications of Anthony Lewis, 1927 to 2013 By Joe Conason
Anthony Lewis, the former New York Times reporter and columnist who died Monday at the age of 86, shaped the American conscience on a broad range of issues, from civil liberties and civil rights to war and diplomacy, for almost 50 years. During his long career, Lewis won numerous awards and published several important books. Unlike many men of his generation who rose to high positions in journalism, he was a charming and thoughtful man who could listen as intently as he talked.
March 28, 2013
Republicans Grow Less Hawkish in Wake of Iraq War By Michael Barone
Are Republicans no longer the party more inclined to military interventions and an assertive foreign policy?
March 28, 2013
55% Want Government to Deport Those Who Overstay Their Visas
An estimated 40% to 45% of the 11 million illegal immigrants now in the United States are people who entered the country on legal visas and then stayed on after those visas expired. Most voters think the government should send those people home, but the Political Class disagrees.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the federal government should find these illegal immigrants and make them go home. Only 22% oppose such a policy, while just as many (23%) 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 20-21, 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.
March 27, 2013
33% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, March 24.
Voter optimism in the nation’s current course is up two points from the previous week and is line with attitudes at the beginning of the year. Confidence in the nation's course peaked at a high of 43% the week before Election Day but has gradually come down since then.
When President Obama assumed office in January 2009, the number of voters who felt the country was heading in the right direction rose to 27% and then climbed into the 30s, peaking at 40% in early May of that year. In 2010 and 2011, confidence steadily decreased down to the narrow range of 14% to 19%, levels similar to those measured in the final months of the George W. Bush administration. Optimism began climbing again in mid-December 2011.
(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 March 18-24, 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.
March 27, 2013
40% Give Obama Positive Marks on Job Creation
President Obama continues to earned mixed reviews for his handling of the jobs issue and small business.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely Voters rate the way the president is handling issues related to job creation as good or excellent, while 42% give him a poor rating in this area.
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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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 24-25, 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.
March 27, 2013
68% Say Bigger Problem in Legal System Is Too Many Released Criminals
Americans feel even more strongly that the biggest problem with the criminal justice system is that too many criminals are set free. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 68% of U.S. Adults believe that the bigger problem with law enforcement and the legal system is that too many criminals are released, not that too many innocent people are arrested. Eighteen percent (18%) hold the opposite view and think the bigger problem is that too many innocent people are arrested. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 21-22, 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.
March 27, 2013
45% Say Sequester Didn’t Cut Government Spending Enough
Just over three weeks after the sequester cuts in the growth of federal spending kicked in, voters feel a bit more strongly that they didn’t cut deep enough.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 22% of Likely U.S. Voters still think the sequester cut the projected growth in spending too much. But twice as many (45%) disagree and think it didn’t cut enough. Fourteen percent (14%) feel the amount cut was about right. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure. (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 March 24-25, 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.
