When Curiosity touched down on Mars, joy erupted at NASA's lab in Pasadena, Calif., and national pride swelled. America the Demoralized had briefly vanished. Our research instruments were going where no research instruments had gone before. America was back at its game.
Most voters want to continue the so-called Bush tax cuts, but they aren’t convinced that President Obama and Congress will extend those tax cuts by the end of the year when they expire.
Only 43% of Likely U.S. Voters, in fact, think it’s even somewhat likely that Congress and the president will reach an agreement before year’s end that extends the Bush administration tax cuts. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% think such an extension is unlikely.
Those figures include just nine percent (9%) who feel and extension of the Bush tax cuts is Very Likely and 13% who view it as 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 nationwide was conducted on August 10-11, 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.
Republicans lead Democrats by three points on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the sixth week in a row, this time for the week ending Sunday, August 12.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead.
Americans still don’t think too highly of the public education system in the United States, but they continue to give much higher marks to the school their own child attends.
A new Rasmussen Report national telephone survey finds that just 23% of American Adults rate the current performance of public schools in America today as good or excellent. Thirty-six percent (36%) give public education in the United States poor marks. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The number of Americans who are confident in the U.S. banking system remains below 50%, but most still aren’t worried they will lose money due to a bank failure.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 44% are confident in the stability of the U.S. banking industry today, including just 11% who are Very Confident. Fifty-one percent (51%) don’t share this confidence, with 11% who are Not At All Confident in the banking system. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on August 11-12, 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.
Voters still rate spending cuts as more important than reducing the deficit, but hardly anybody expects the government to cut spending over the next few years. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is more important to cut government spending than it is to reduce the federal budget deficit. Forty percent (40%) disagree and think it is more important to reduce the deficit first. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
On the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk harbor, a coatless Mitt Romney named a tieless Paul Ryan as his vice presidential nominee.
Republican challenger Josh Mandel now runs even with incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Ohio shows Mandel and Brown each earning 44% support. Three percent (3%) favor some other candidate in the contest, and nine percent (9%) 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 500 Likely Voters in Ohio was conducted on August 13, 2012 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.
Most voters still want to see President Obama’s health care law repealed, and a plurality believes repeal would be good for the economy.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters favor repeal of the national health care law, while 38% are opposed. This includes 46% who Strongly Favor repeal and 29% 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 August 10-11, 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.
U.S. voters continue to have a more positive view of the government auto bailouts than they do of the ones given to the financial sector.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters view the bailouts of the U.S. financial industry as bad for the country. Just 25% think those bailouts were a good thing for America. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on August 8-9, 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.
Most voters continue as they have for years to put border control ahead of legalizing the illegal immigrants already in this country.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters think gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living here. Thirty-five percent (35%) put legalizing the status of undocumented workers first. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 6-7, 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.
For many Americans, this year’s presidential race couldn’t be clearer: One candidate wants to expand the government’s role in the economy and the business world; the other claims he wants to reduce the size of that footprint.
Mitt Romney announced this morning that Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan will be his running mate.
Earlier polling found that 39% of all voters had a favorable opinion of Ryan, while 25% offered a negative review. Thirty-five percent (35%) express no opinion of Ryan. The congressman is relatively unknown to the nation at large. Only a third of voters have a strong opinion in either direction.
Wisconsin is a state both sides consider key to the presidential election. Right now, President Obama has a modest three-point lead over Romney in the state, and it remains a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections.
Despite last month’s horrendous theater shooting incident in Colorado, most voters in the state don’t see a need for tougher anti-gun laws but do believe the suspected shooter should be executed if he’s convicted.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Colorado Voters finds that 41% think the United States needs stricter gun control laws. But 53% disagree and see no need for stricter anti-gun laws. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Most voters continue to favor sanctions on those who hire illegal immigrants but seem to be a little less enthusiastic about it.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters now favor strict sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants. That's down from 65% in April and the first time that support for strong sanctions against employers has fallen below the 60% mark in regular surveying since March 2009.
More in line with surveying earlier this year are the 25% of voters who oppose strict sanctions on employers. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure about them. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The presidential race in the battleground state of Iowa remains a near tie.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Iowa Voters finds Mitt Romney with 46% support to President Obama’s 44%. Five percent (5%) prefer another candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Iowa was conducted on August 8, 2012 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.
NASA recently sent a robotic-like machine into space to further explore Mars, and now Americans are slightly more supportive of sending a human to the Red Planet.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of American Adults think the current goals of the space program should include sending someone to Mars. Thirty-eight percent (38%) disagree, while 27% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Forget Bain Capital, tax returns, whether the President says you built your business or not, Fast and Furious, Romneycare, Obamacare, overseas gaffes and the campaign story du jour. These are side issues and distractions. This presidential election should be primarily about one thing, which is the issue that is perennially most important to American voters: the economy.
Most Americans don’t like the idea of the federal government playing favorites in the business world. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is not appropriate for the government to invest in private companies. Just half that many (27%) disagree and believe it is okay for the government to invest in the private sector. Eighteen percent (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 Likely Voters was conducted on August 4-5, 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.
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) got the opponent she wanted. But she still enters the general election season as an underdog.
