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                            January 3, 2013Obama Earns Best Full-Month Ratings Since Mid-2009
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.
For the month of December, the president's Total Job Approval Rating improved two points from November to 56%, the highest level measured since May 2009.  Prior to the election, that finding has remained in the narrow range of 44% to 49% for two years straight.

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                            January 3, 2013Most Voters Oppose Lower Tax Rate for Capital Gains
The “fiscal cliff” deal keeps the tax rate on capital gains low compared to other income, but most voters don’t think that’s a good idea.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters think capital gains should be taxed at about the same rate as other income. Thirteen percent (13%) believe capital gains should be taxed at a higher rate than other income. Twenty-five percent (25%) support the current policy of taxing those gains at a lower rate. (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 December 27-28, 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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                            January 3, 2013Public Evenly Divided on Fiscal Cliff Deal
Voters are evenly divided in their views of the last-minute “fiscal cliff” deal reached by President Obama and Congress, but very few expect government spending to go down as a result. One-out-of-two predict taxes on the middle class will go up though.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of the deal, while 46% also disapprove. But the nays feel more strongly: These findings include just eight percent (8%) who Strongly Approve of the deal versus 25% who Strongly Disapprove. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.
January 3, 2013Fiscal Deal Passes as House GOP Clown Car Crashes, Again By Joe Conason
Observing the Congressional Republicans repeatedly stumble in and out of their caucus clown car, blowing loud kazoos and muttering angry threats, should be painful, embarrassing and highly instructive to any American voter with the patience to watch. When their latest performance concluded late Tuesday night with a 257 to 187 vote passing the stopgap fiscal deal negotiated by the Senate and the White House, an unavoidable question lingered: What is wrong with those people?      
January 3, 2013If Demography Is Destiny, Good News for Texas, D.C. By Michael Barone
Demographics buffs get a special Christmas present every year courtesy of the Census Bureau: its annual estimates of the populations of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This gives demographers a chance to see where the nation is growing and where it is not, and to get an idea of the destination of immigrants and of the flow of people into one set of states and out of another.

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                            January 3, 2013New High: 51% Think U.S. Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws
For the first time, most Americans are calling for tougher anti-gun laws. Even more are calling for stricter enforcement of the gun control laws already on the books.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults now support stricter gun control laws, the highest finding in over six years of tracking. Forty-two percent (42%) disagree and oppose tougher laws in this area. (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 December 28-29, 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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                            January 2, 201333% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Thirty-three percent (33%) 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, December 30.
That's down from 35% last week and the lowest finding since the beginning of September. After Election Day, confidence in the nation’s course initially tracked in the low 40s, the highest level of optimism during the Obama years. Still, the latest finding is slightly higher than was found earlier in 2012 and is up 11 points from a 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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen December 26-30, 2012. 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 2, 201354% Say It’s Possible To Find Work These Days
At a time when the Rasmussen Employment Index is at its highest level since 2007, more Americans than ever believe that someone who wants to work can find a job. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults say it’s possible for anyone who really wants to work to find a job. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree, and 13% 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 American Adults was conducted on December 26-27, 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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                            January 2, 2013Rasmussen Employment Index Caps Year At Five-Year High
The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence jumped 12 points in December to its highest level since November 2007.
At 91.2, the Employment Index is up 11 points from the start of 2012 and 12 points from its level a year ago.
The survey of 9,276 working Americans was conducted in December 2012 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.

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                            January 2, 201362% Favor Across-the-Board Spending Cuts, But 57% Think They’re Unlikely
Even as official Washington signs off on a “fiscal cliff” deal with $1 in spending cuts to every $41 in new taxes, most voters continue to favor across-the-board spending cuts but doubt they are likely to happen. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 39% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is even somewhat likely that government spending will be significantly reduced over the next few years. Fifty-seven percent (57%) see significant spending cuts as unlikely. This includes 11% who believe such cuts are Very Likely in the near future and 20% who say they are Not At All Likely. (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 December 29-30, 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.
January 2, 2013No Regulation? No Problem By John Stossel
In the short time since President Obama was re-elected, government has issued hundreds of new regulations. The bureaucrats never stop. There are now more than 170,000 pages of federal regulations.   
January 2, 2013The Wrong Republicans By Froma Harrop
"The damage may have already been done," starts a Wall Street Journal news story about the fiscal cliff. This is damage a fix at this point can't fix. That Washington couldn't stop big automatic spending cuts and tax increases in an orderly manner marked another hit on the psyche of American business and consumers. Feeling captive to a bizarre political game is not pleasant, and yes, the damage can already be measured in dollars.

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                            January 2, 2013Most Feel Safer with Armed Security Guard at Child's School
Fifty-four percent (54%) of American adults would feel safer if their child's school had an armed security guard. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% would feel safer if their child attended a school where no adults were allowed to have guns. Another 20% are undecided.
Among parents of school-aged children, support for armed guards is even higher. Sixty-two percent (62%) of such parents would feel safer with an armed security guard at the school, while 22% would feel safer if their child attended a gun-free school.  (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 December 28-29, 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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                            January 1, 2013Americans Rank New Year's Day Low on the List of Holidays
What a difference a week makes. Americans regard Christmas as the nation's most important holiday, while New Year's Day falls a lot lower on the scale. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just seven percent (7%) consider New Year’s Day one of the nation’s most important holidays. Twenty-eight percent (28%) consider it one of the least important, while most (62%) rate it somewhere in between. (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 December 22, 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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                            December 31, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 46%, Republicans 35%
Democrats now hold an 11-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 30, 2012.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 35% 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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from December 26-30, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
December 31, 2012When Government Offers to Help, It Often Makes a Mess By Michael Barone
There's a natural human impulse to help people who need a hand. In the political world, that often translates to an impulse to have government help people who need a hand. Who wants to argue with that?

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                            December 31, 201260% Think Most Members of Congress Are Willing to Sell Their Vote
Voters continue to believe that most members of Congress are for sale and that their own representative is as guilty as the rest. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters now believe that most members of Congress are willing to sell their vote for either cash or a campaign contribution.
While many in Washington dismiss such perceptions by claiming that people hate Congress but love their own representative, voters are skeptical of their own representative as well. In fact, 57) think it’s likely that their representative in Congress has traded votes for cash. That includes 28% who believe it’s Very Likely. (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 December 27-28, 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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                            December 31, 2012Americans Will Ring in 2013 With Prayers, Drinks and Kisses
How will Americans celebrate on New Year’s Eve?
Most (65%) plan to be awake at midnight when we bid farewell to 2012 and welcome in 2013.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% are at least somewhat likely to watch the ball drop in New York’s Times Square on television to ring in the New Year, including 41% who are Very Likely to do so. But 35% say they are not likely to watch the ball drop , with 12% who say it's Not At All Likely. (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 December 22, 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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                            December 30, 201264% Believe in God of the Bible
Two-out-of-three Americans (64%) believe in the God of the Bible. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also finds that 12% do not believe in God at all. Eleven percent (11%) believe in some form or essence of God, five percent (5%) in some other form of God, and eight percent (8%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Those who do not believe in God are evenly divided as to whether or not believers are foolish: 42% say they are, but 42% disagree.
Among those under 40, just 53% believe in the God of the Bible. That figure is 70% for those aged 40-64 and 73% for senior citizens.
Women (68%) are a bit more likely to believe in the Biblical God than men (60%).
(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 December 17-20, 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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                            December 30, 20125% Think Congress Is Doing A Good or Excellent Job
With the nation teetering on the brink of the “fiscal cliff,” Congress’ job approval ratings have fallen back to the lowest level of the year. 
Just five percent (5%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate Congress’ performance as good or excellent. Sixty-nine percent (69%) view its performance as poor, 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 Likely Voters was conducted on December 27-28, 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.