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                            September 5, 201231% 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, September 2.
That’s up three points from the week before and the highest finding since early July.
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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports August 27-September 2, 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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                            September 5, 201262% Say They’ll Decide When To Leave Current Job
The number of working Americans who think they, not their employer, will decide when they leave their current job has fallen to its lowest level in nearly three years.
Sixty-two percent (62%) now say that when they leave their current job, it will be their choice. That’s down 12 points from 74% in July. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that nearly one-in-five (19%) think it will be their employer’s decision when they leave their current job. Another 19% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 593 Employed Adults was conducted on September 2-3, 2012 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.
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                            September 5, 2012Kerry, Caroline Kennedy Earn Raves from Their Fellow Democrats
Democrats are most enthusiastic about John Kerry and Caroline Kennedy when asked about some of the prominent speakers at their party’s national convention this week in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds that some of the party’s rising stars like Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Newark, NJ Mayor Corey Booker are largely unknown to sizable numbers of Democrats, but this survey was taken before they addressed the convention delegates. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 3-4, 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.
September 5, 2012What I Ask of Romney and Obama By John Stossel
The Republican Convention ended on the theme "Believe in America." That sounded nice, but it was just another platitude. Mitt Romney's speech was filled with platitudes: "We will honor America's democratic ideals. ... We're united to preserve liberty."

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                            September 5, 2012Just 40% Expect to Get Full Social Security Benefits
Most voters continue to regard Social Security favorably but lack confidence that they will get all the retirement benefits promised to them.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of Social Security, while 33% view the government retirement system unfavorably. This includes 29% with a Very Favorable opinion and just 12% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 30-31, 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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                            September 4, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 42%
The Republicans now lead the Democrats by just one point on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, September 2.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 42% would choose the Democrat instead.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from August 27-September 2, 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.

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                            September 4, 2012Rasmussen Employment Index Falls to Ten Month Low
The Rasmussen Employment Index fell nine points in August to 72.0, the lowest level of confidence since October 2011. Worker confidence in the labor market is now roughly the same as it was in the month following the Wall Street meltdown in the fall of 2008.
Generally speaking, a decrease in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government reports on job creation will be weaker than the prior month’s report.
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The survey of 8,563 working Americans was conducted in August 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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                            September 4, 201250% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, 41% Opposed
Fifty percent (50%) of Likely U.S. Voters continue to favor repeal of President Obama’s national health care law, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-one percent (41%) oppose repeal.
Enthusiasm remains on the side of repeal supporters, with 43% of voters who Strongly Favor it, compared to 33% who are Strongly Opposed.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 1-2, 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.
September 4, 2012Inspiring but Not Slick, Romney Showed Right Stuff By Michael Barone
The 40th Republican National Convention is now history, and political strategists and pundits are poring over the poll numbers to see whether Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are getting a post-convention bounce in what have been very closely divided polls.

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                            September 4, 2012Republican Voters Love Eastwood, Democrats Not So Much
Clint Eastwood delivered one of the most unusual convention speeches in recent memory last week, and America’s Political Class didn’t know what to make of it. Most Democratic analysts panned the performance, while Republican officials offered a mixed assessment ranging from great to cringeworthy. But the 82-year old movie icon is still viewed in positive terms by the nation’s voters.
While Republican officials were uncertain about Eastwood, 78% of GOP voters have a favorable opinion of him. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that Democrats are evenly divided: 42% favorable and 44% unfavorable. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 58% view Eastwood favorably, and only 21% have a negative view. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 30-31, 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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                            September 3, 201252% Celebrate Labor Day As Unofficial End of Summer
Labor Day was originally meant as a day to celebrate the nation's work force, but more than half of Americans continue to see it more as an unofficial end to summer.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 35% celebrate Labor Day as a holiday honoring the contribution of workers in society. Fifty-two percent (52%) celebrate the federal holiday as the unofficial end of summer. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 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.

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                            September 2, 2012Obama’s Monthly Approval Rating Gains A Point in August
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 August, the president's Total Job Approval Rating moved up a point to 48% from 47% in July. Since the beginning of 2012, that finding has remained in the narrow range of 47% to 49%.  This time last year, the president had an approval rating of 44%.   However, his ratings have been remarkably steady and generally stayed around the 47% mark since late 2009.

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                            September 2, 201239% Took A Summer Vacation This Year
Slightly more Americans took a summer vacation this year, and fewer cited economic conditions as a reason to spend less on that vacation.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey find that 39% of American Adults took a summer vacation this year.  That's up slightly from 33% last year and is more in line with the number who vacationed in 2010 and 2009.  Sixty percent (60%) did not go on summer vacation this year.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 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. 
September 1, 2012Number of Republicans in America Reaches Record High
After falling for two straight months, the number of Americans who consider themselves Republicans jumped nearly three points in August.
During August, 37.6% of Americans considered themselves Republicans. That’s up from 34.9% in July and 35.4% in June. It’s also the largest number of Republicans ever recorded by Rasmussen Report since monthly tracking began in November 2002. The previous peak for the GOP was 37.3% in September 2004. See History of Party Trends.

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                            September 1, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending September 1, 2012
Just as Labor Day marks the end of summer for most Americans, it also signals the beginning of the presidential campaign season for many. Now they’ll focus on the race with Election Day looming just two months away.
So where do President Obama and Mitt Romney stand at this point? Heading into the Republican National Convention, the candidates have been even for months in the daily Presidential Tracking Poll. At week’s end, Romney was starting to enjoy a modest bounce from his convention. President Obama expects to do the same next week.

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                            August 31, 201227% Are Conservative on Both Fiscal and Social Issues, 15% Liberal
Voters remain more conservative on fiscal issues than on social matters. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% consider themselves conservative when it comes to fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending and business regulation. That's consistent with regular tracking since May of last year. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say they are fiscal moderates. Eighteen percent (18%) define themselves as liberal on fiscal matters, up four points from a month ago and the highest number of self-described fiscal liberals to date. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 24-25, 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. 
August 31, 201244% Give Obama Poor Marks on His Handling of Economy
The economy is still the number one issue on voters’ minds this election season, and a plurality continues to give President Obama poor marks in this area. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 35% of Likely Voters believe the president is doing a good or excellent job handling economic issues. Forty-four percent (44%) give Obama a poor rating in this area.  (To see survey question wording, click here.
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 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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                            August 31, 2012Most Think Next President Likely to Be Republican
Most voters still think the next president is likely to be a Republican, but belief that it’s very likely has changed little for months.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that the next president will be a Republican. Twenty-five percent (25%) considerate it unlikely that President Obama will be succeeded by a Republican. Sixteen percent (16%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 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.

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                            August 31, 201288% View Neil Armstrong Favorably; 5% Think Moon Landing A Fake
An overwhelming number of Americans nationwide have a favorable opinion of astronaut Neil Armstrong who passed away last weekend. Despite his famously guarded demeanor, most Americans correctly identify him as the first person to walk on the moon. Only a small percentage of Americans think the whole thing was staged.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 88% view Armstrong favorably, including 68% with a Very Favorable opinion of him. Just two percent (2%) regard him unfavorably. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 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
August 31, 2012Foreign Affairs: How Romney's Millions Went Tax-Free Overseas By Joe Conason
On the same day that Mitt Romney cracked his birther "joke," new evidence indicated that he and his partners at Bain Capital have used questionable methods to avoid federal taxes -- including a scheme that transforms corporate stock into untaxed offshore "derivatives" and a practice that converts management fees into capital gains, which are taxed at a far lower rate.