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April 11, 201229% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
For the third week in a row, 29% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction. The latest finding is from a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 8, and remains down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.
When President Obama assumed office in January 2009, voter optimism rose to 27%, then climbed into the 30s, peaking at 40% in early May of that year. In 2010, confidence steadily decreased.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports April 2-8, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
April 11, 2012Massachusetts:  Obama 51%, Romney 40%
President Obama continues to hold a double-digit lead in Massachusetts over Mitt Romney, governor of the state from 2003 to 2007.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters in Massachusetts finds Obama earning 51% support to Romney's 40%.  Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) 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.
This Massachusetts survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted April 9, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
April 11, 2012North Carolina Governor: McCrory (R) 45%, Dalton (D) 36%
For Republican gubernatorial hopeful Pat McCrory, the second time’s the charm so far. The unsuccessful 2008 GOP candidate for governor in North Carolina leads all three of his major Democratic opponents in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of this year’s gubernatorial contest.
A new telephone survey of Likely Voters in North Carolina finds McCrory earning 45% support to Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton’s 36%. Five percent (5%) like another candidate, and 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on April 10, 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 11, 201243% Have Gone Through A Week Without Paying Cash
Is America moving toward a cashless society?
Forty-three percent (43%) of American Adults have gone through a full week without paying for anything with cash or coins, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Only slightly more (47%) have not done so. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on April 9-10, 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.
April 11, 2012Can Government Do Anything Well? By John Stossel
I'm suspicious of superstitions, like astrology or the belief that "green jobs will fix the environment and the economy." I understand the appeal of such beliefs. People crave simple answers and want to believe that some higher power determines our fates.
The most socially destructive superstition of all is the intuitively appealing belief that problems are best solved by government.
Opinion polls suggest that Americans are dissatisfied with government. Yet whenever another crisis hits, the natural human instinct is to say, "Why doesn't the government do something?"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 11, 201244% Now See Auto Bailouts As Good for America
American voters have disliked the government bailouts of the financial and automobile industries since day one, but they now view the auto industry bailout more positively than the one given to banks and insurance companies.
Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the government bailouts of the auto industry were good for America, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds. Only slightly more (47%) now say the auto bailouts were bad for America. (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 April 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 10, 201248% Still Question Stability of U.S. Banks
Nearly half (48%) of American Adults continue to lack confidence in the stability of the U.S. banking industry, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Just as many (47%) do remain at least somewhat confident in the nation's banks. These findings include nine percent (9%) who are Very Confident in the banking industry and 18% who are Not At All Confident. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on April 7-8, 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.
April 10, 2012New Mexico:  Obama 52%, Romney 36%
President Obama continues to hold a double-digit advantage over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in New Mexico. 
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 52% support to Romney’s 36%. Nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, and three percent (3%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
If Rick Santorum is the Republican nominee, Obama leads the former Pennsylvania senator by a similar 53% to 38% margin.  Given that matchup, five percent (5%) favor another candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.
(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.
This New Mexico survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on April 3, 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.
April 10, 2012Massachusetts Senate: Warren (D) 46%, Brown (R) 45%
Republican Senator Scott Brown and his chief Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, are now running neck-and-neck in Massachusetts’ red-hot U.S. Senate race.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Massachusetts shows Warren edging Brown by one point, 46% to 45%. One percent (1%) likes some other candidate in the race, and eight percent (8%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Massachusetts was conducted on April 9, 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 10, 201244% Think EPA Actions Hurt The Economy
Voters tend to think the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency are bad for the economy and hold decidedly mixed feelings about one of its guiding policies, the federal Endangered Species Act.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters believe, generally speaking, that the EPA’s regulations and actions hurt the economy. Just 17% disagree and think those policies help the economy. Twenty-one percent (21%) say they have no economic impact, but another 17% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.
April 10, 2012Being in a Disaster as It Unfolds By Froma Harrop
The most dreadful disasters make us wonder how we would respond were we in the middle of it. That's especially true of those events that slowly evolve from concern to horror. On the Titanic, almost three hours elapsed between the thud of the iceberg and the final plunge into the icy Atlantic.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 10, 201236% Say There Are Too Many Competing State Lotteries
Lotto fever swept the country recently when the Mega Millions jackpot rose to a record-breaking $656 million, a prize that still has yet to be claimed. Support for state-run lotteries remains steady, but the number of Americans who say there are too many of them continues to rise.
Thirty-six percent (36%) of American Adults believe there are currently too many competing state lotteries, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just nine percent (9%) say there aren’t enough. Forty-one percent (41%) think the number of lotteries is just about right. Fourteen percent (14%) 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 Adults nationwide was conducted on April 5-6, 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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                            April 9, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 40%
Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, April 8. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead. A week ago, the Republican led by six points, 45% to 39%.
(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 Reports from April 2-8, 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.
April 9, 201236% Say Better to Invest in Fossil Fuels Than in Alternative Energy
Americans recognize more strongly than ever that there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. Support for investing in fossil fuels like oil and gas is also at a new high amidst near-record gas prices and the ongoing political debate over development of the Keystone XL pipeline which President Obama has blocked for environmental reasons.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely Voters think there’s a conflict between economic growth and environment protection. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree, while 17% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.
April 9, 201236% Say Better to Invest in Fossil Fuels Than in Alternative Energy
Americans recognize more strongly than ever that there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. Support for investing in fossil fuels like oil and gas is also at a new high amidst near-record gas prices and the ongoing political debate over development of the Keystone XL pipeline which President Obama has blocked for environmental reasons.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely Voters think there’s a conflict between economic growth and environment protection. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree, while 17% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 9, 201244% See More Government Hiring of Unemployed As Bad, 38% Say Good
The national unemployment rate dipped slightly in March but mostly because more Americans stopped looking for work. A survey conducted prior to the government jobs report shows that roughly a quarter of Americans still support long-term federal support for the chronic unemployed.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 16% believe the government should hire unemployed people who can’t find work for an extended period of time, while 11% favor extending unemployment benefits indefinitely. This combined 27% support for ongoing federal aid for the unemployed is up slightly from February’s low of 23% but is more similar to previous findings over the past year.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 1-2, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
April 9, 2012Supreme Court’s Ratings Jump Following Health Care Hearings
Just before the highly publicized hearing on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law, ratings for the U.S. Supreme Court had fallen to the lowest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports. Now, following the hearings, approval of the court is way up.
Forty-one percent (41%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the Supreme Court’s performance as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s up 13 points from 28% in mid-March and is the court’s highest ratings in two-and-a-half years.
To read other articles like this from Rasmussen Reports, sign-up for the Rasmussen Reader subscription – just $3.95/month or $34.95/year.
This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.
April 9, 2012Can Romney Show Voters That Obama Is Out of Date? By Michael Barone
Time for a postmortem on the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Yes, I know Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are still out there saying interesting things. And that Rick Santorum says it's only halftime and argues he can somehow overtake Mitt Romney by carrying his home state of Pennsylvania.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 9, 2012Most Voters Trust Their Own Economic Judgment More than Obama, Romney
Voters overwhelmingly trust their own judgment on economic matters more than the judgment of either President Obama or Mitt Romney. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 29% of Likely U.S. Voters trust the president more than themselves when it comes to the economic issues facing the nation. Just 18% say the same of Romney. But 65% of voters have more confidence in their own economic judgment than in Obama’s.  Only slightly more (68%) hold more confidence in themselves than in Romney when it comes to the major economic issues of the day. (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.
This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            April 8, 201248% Believe Easter One of Most Important Holidays
Today is Easter, and most Americans will find a way to celebrate.
Roughly half of American adults (48%) consider Easter one of the nation's most important holidays, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fourteen percent (14%) see it as one of the least important, while 37% rank 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 April 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.