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February 4, 2013

75% View Hagel’s Confirmation As Likely

Despite his weak performance at last week’s Senate confirmation hearings, opinions of Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel are little changed, and most voters think he is likely to be confirmed.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 33% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of Hagel, while 32% view him unfavorably. Thirty-five percent (35%) still don’t know enough about the former Republican senator from Nebraska to venture any kind of opinion. (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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on February 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.

February 4, 2013

80% Rate Their Health Care As Good or Excellent

Voters continue to give high marks to the health care they receive but worry that the U.S. health care system is going to get worse in the near future.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 80% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the overall quality of the health care they receive as good or excellent. Just three percent (3%) consider the health care they receive 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 February 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.

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February 4, 2013

Fewer Dollars and Babies Threaten Social Programs By Michael Barone

Our major public policies are based on the assumption that America will continue to enjoy growth. Economic growth and population growth.

Through most of our history, this assumption has proved to be correct. These days, not so much.

Last week, the Commerce Department announced that the gross domestic product shrunk by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012. And the Census Bureau reported that the U.S. birth rate in 2011 was 63.2 per 1,000 women age 15 to 44, the lowest ever recorded.

February 3, 2013

53% Expect Housing Market to Take More Than Three Years to Recover

Most Americans (53%) still expect housing prices to take more than three years to fully recover from the 2008 downturn. That's consistent with findings since last June.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 34% of American Adults think it will take three years or less for housing prices to recover, with four percent (4%) who see full recovery within a year. That's in line with attitudes in December but slightly more optimistic than Americans had been for several months prior to that.  Fourteen percent (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 Adults was conducted on January 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.

February 3, 2013

Game Day: Fans Pick 49ers to Win

The San Francisco 49ers were picked to win it all at the beginning of the season, and with kick off to Super Bowl XLVII just hours away, fans' views haven’t changed.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults who plan to watch the Super Bowl think the 49ers are most likely to win this year, while 33% believe the Baltimore Ravens are most likely to be the champions. Nineteen percent (19%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

When it comes to what team viewers want to win, however, they're more closely divided:  43% say the ‘Niners, while 39% say the Ravens.

(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 1,058 Adults Who Will Watch the Super Bowl was conducted on January 26-29, 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.

February 2, 2013

42% Think U.S., Allies Winning War on Terror

Confidence that the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror has slipped to the lowest level since the killing of Osama bin Laden nearly two years ago. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s down from 45% in December and the lowest level of confidence since April 2011. Confidence peaked at 55% in May 2011 just after bin Laden’s death was announced. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in the new 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 January 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.

February 2, 2013

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending February 2, 2013

The week began with a bipartisan immigration reform plan that includes a pathway to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants already here and ended with a worsening of the national unemployment rate. Voters have little faith in their elected representatives to set either issue right.

Voters continue to favor a welcoming immigration policy and rate both border control and legalizing the status of those here illegally as important goals. However, voters are dubious that the government will actually make more of en effort to stop illegal immigration if the plan is passed by Congress. 

“Despite the broad support for the outlines of the bipartisan legislation, the prospects for its passage are far from clear,” Scott Rasmussen explains in his latest weekly newspaper column. “The reason has little to do with the immigration issue itself and everything to do with the lack of public trust in the government.”

February 1, 2013

35% of Super Bowl Watchers Find the Ads Better Than The Game

The Super Bowl is just two days away, but a sizable number of Americans who plan to watch it will be more focused on the ads.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 35% of adults who will watch the Super Bowl think the big game’s commercials are more interesting than the game itself.  Fifty-five percent (55%) find the game more interesting. Eleven percent (11%) 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 525 Adults Who Will Watch the Super Bowl was conducted on January 26-29, 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.

February 1, 2013

New Low: 39% Expect Stronger Economy Five Years From Now

Fewer Americans than ever expect the U.S. economy to be stronger in five years, while the number who think it will be stronger 12 months from now is little changed from findings over the past three years. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 39% of American Adults think the economy will be stronger in five years. That's down from 44% in December and the first time this finding has fallen below the 40% mark in four years of regular surveying. In February of last year, 47% predicted that the economy would be stronger in five years' time. In January 2009, 62% felt that way.

Thirty-one percent (31%) now expect the economy to be weaker in five years, compared to 21% in February 2012. Twelve percent (12%) think the economy will remain about the same, while 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 survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 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.

February 1, 2013

43% Think U.S. Is Too Involved in the Middle East

As America’s role in the Middle East takes center stage in the confirmation hearings for Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel, a plurality of voters believes the United States is too involved in that part of the world. But most still think there is an ongoing worldwide conflict between the Islamic world and the West.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters feel the United States is too involved in the Middle East. Just 15% think America is not involved enough in that part of the world. Thirty-one percent (31%) consider the level of U.S. involvement about right. (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 January 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.

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February 1, 2013

Not All Smiles on Immigration Reform? By Froma Harrop

Such a happy scene: Republican senators grinning next to Democratic senators as though the debt-ceiling crisis, ObamaCare and Sarah Palin never happened. The unifying event is a bipartisan plan to reform the immigration laws, which definitely need fixing.    

February 1, 2013

Real Border Control Has to Come First in Any Immigration Deal By Scott Rasmussen

A bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators has proposed an immigration reform plan that appears to broadly reflect what voters would like to see. But there's a catch.

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January 31, 2013

Better Tools for Immigration Reform Than in 1986 By Michael Barone

Yesterday, as Barack Obama called for a bipartisan immigration bill in Las Vegas and Sen. Marco Rubio called for one on Rush Limbaugh's program, the chances for passage look surprisingly good.

January 31, 2013

60% Think U.S. Society Fair and Decent

Most voters continue to believe America is a fair country and feel those who move here should adopt its culture.

Sixty percent (60%) of Likely U.S. Voters think American society is generally fair and decent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 28% disagree and view the country as unfair and discriminatory. Twelve percent (12%) 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 January 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.

January 31, 2013

41% of Super Bowl Viewers Say Beyonce Good Choice For Halftime Show

Female vocalist Beyonce was criticized for lip-synching at President Obama’s inauguration, and Super Bowl viewers have mixed feelings about whether she's a good choice for the halftime show. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of adults who will watch the Super Bowl finds that 41% think the best-selling female vocalist is a good choice to play the halftime show.  Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree, while 23% are not sure.  (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 525 Adults Who Will Watch the Super Bowl was conducted on January 28-29, 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.

January 31, 2013

46% Think Tougher Border Control Unlikely If New Immigration Law Passes

Voters continue to favor a welcoming immigration policy but still feel more strongly that stricter border control has to come first. They’re evenly divided, however, over whether the government will make more of an effort to control the border if a new bipartisan immigration reform proposal is passed by Congress.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters agree that the goal of immigration policy should be to keep out only national security threats, criminals and those who would come here to live off our welfare system. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree with that goal for immigration policy. 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 Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.

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January 31, 2013

Benghazi Hearings: Capitol Hill's Angry Little Men Keep Making Hillary Bigger By Joe Conason

Anyone truly concerned about the safety of U.S. diplomatic personnel abroad -- and that should include every American -- has fresh reason for fury over last September's disaster in Benghazi and its aftermath. But the target of public anger should not be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whose conduct has been exemplary ever since the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three of his brave colleagues lost their lives last September. Far more deserving of scorn are the likes of Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and all the other grandstanding, conspiracy-mongering, ill-informed politicians who questioned her Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

Four months after the tragedy occurred, Republicans on both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee still seem to be obsessed with the talking points provided to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice before she appeared on television to discuss the incident.

January 31, 2013

51% See More Corruption in Companies That Do Most of Their Business With Gov't

Voters are suspicious of companies that do a lot of business with the government. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Likely U.S. Voters think a company that earns most of its revenue from government is likely to be more corrupt than a company that earns most of its revenue from serving customers. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 17% believe a company that earns most of its revenue from serving customers is likely to be more corrupt. A sizable 31% 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 January 27-28, 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.

January 30, 2013

39% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Thirty-nine percent (39%) 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, January 27.

The latest finding is up four points from the previous week and is the highest level measured so far this year. Still, confidence is down from 43% the week prior to President Obama’s reelection, the highest level measured in over five years of weekly tracking. This time last year, only 29% said the country was heading in the right direction.

(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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen January 21-27, 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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January 30, 2013

Worker Confidence Slips in January

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence fell four points in January from a five-year high the month before, but the index remains above monthly levels measured for most of 2012.

At 87.1, the Employment Index is up six points from the start of 2012 and up 10 points from January 2011.

The survey of 9,476 working Americans was conducted in January 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.