17% Say Country Heading In Right Direction
Just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, December 4.
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December 7, 2011
December 7, 2011
38% Say United States Spends Too Much on Defense
As Washington officials continue to haggle over ways to cut the federal budget, more voters than ever believe the country spends too much on the military and national security.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 38% think America spends too much on the military and national security, up just a point from October but up five points from January.
(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 2-3, 2011 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.
December 7, 2011
38% Are Concerned About Safety of Electric Cars
Despite recent concerns about Chevrolet’s electric Volt possibly catching fire in a crash, most Americans aren’t worried about the safety of electric cars but still don’t intend to buy one in the next 10 years.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 38% of American Adults are at least somewhat concerned about the safety of electric cars, with 16% who are Very Concerned. But 56% don’t share that concern, although that includes only 15% who are Not At All Concerned. (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 5-6, 2011 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.
December 7, 2011
Secular, Liberal Egypt: We Hardly Knew Ya By Tony Blankley
One of the nice things about human history is that no matter how much people or their leaders misjudge events and make a hash of things, within a few centuries, the debris is cleared away, and we can have another go at getting things right.
December 7, 2011
79% Say Religious Holidays Should Be Celebrated in Public Schools
At a time when most Americans see political correctness as a serious problem in this country, an overwhelming majority continues to believe religious holidays should be celebrated in the public schools.
December 6, 2011
Election 2012: Generic Republican 49%, Obama 41%
A generic Republican candidate now holds an eight-point advantage over President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup for the week ending Sunday, December 4. This is the largest gap measured between the two since early September.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds the generic Republican earning 49% support to Obama's 41%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
December 6, 2011
37% See Increased Government Hiring As Good for Economy, 41% Say Bad
Americans are a bit more evenly divided when it comes to whether the economy benefits from the government hiring more unemployed people. But nearly a third still thinks the government should do nothing for the long-term unemployed.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 37% of Americans think it would be good for the U.S. economy if the government hires more people, up just one point from October but the highest result found in over a year.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
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December 6, 2011
Election 2012: Obama 46%, Perry 34%
Texas Governor Rick Perry now trails President Obama by double digits in a hypothetical 2012 Election matchup.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama earning 46% support to Perry’s 34%.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 4-5, 2011 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.
December 6, 2011
55% Say U.S. Should Never Have Been Involved in Iraq
Vice President Joe Biden late last week presided over the transfer of the chief U.S. military facility in Iraq to the Iraqi military, bringing even closer an end to the U.S. war there. Most voters remain convinced that the United States should never have invaded Iraq in March 2003 and believe all U.S. troops should be brought home by the end of this month as planned.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters believe, looking back, that the United States should have become involved in Iraq. Fifty-five percent (55%) say America never should have gotten involved an even more negative assessment than we found in February.
(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 4-5, 2011 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.
December 6, 2011
Paper Is More Forever By Froma Harrop
How many of you want your holiday greetings to arrive in the form of thick paper cards delivered by the United States Postal Service? Now, how many prefer your cheery wishes to arrive in your e-mail inbox, always available via a click or two, assuming you remember where they’re stored? Let’s have a vote on that loaded question.
December 6, 2011
43% Say 99 Weeks of Benefits Increase The Unemployment Problem
Congress is again debating whether to extend the funding that makes possible up to 99 weeks of state and federal unemployment benefits, even as Americans continue to express skepticism about benefits that last that long.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of American Adults believe 99 weeks is too long a period to provide unemployment benefits, while 17% say it’s too short a time. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just one-in-three Americans (33%) think the 99 week-period is about right.
December 5, 2011
Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 38%
For the second week in a row, Republicans hold a five-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot, this time for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 4.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds 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 38% would choose the Democrat instead.
December 5, 2011
29% View New Defense Secretary Panetta Favorably
The United States continues to fight in Afghanistan, the nation’s longest-running war, but a sizable number of Americans don’t know enough about President Obama’s new secretary of Defense to have any kind of opinion about him.
Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Likely U.S. Voters hold at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Leon Panetta, most recently the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, while 32% view him at least somewhat unfavorably, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey.
December 5, 2011
Election 2012: Obama 41%, Huntsman 34%
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman's level of support remains essentially unchanged, and he continues to trail President Obama by a seven-point margin in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama earning 41% of the vote to Huntsman's 34%.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 2-3, 2011 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.
December 5, 2011
82% Know Someone Out of Work and Looking For A Job
Though the national unemployment rate fell slightly in November, more Americans than ever know someone who is out of work and looking for a job. The number who expect unemployment to be lower a year from now remains at its all-time low.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 82% know someone who is out of work and looking for a job.
(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 1-2, 2011 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.
December 5, 2011
Newt Keeps Pitching the America of His Imagination By Michael Barone
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about Newt Gingrich, as he leads in polls for the Republican presidential nomination nationally and in Iowa and South Carolina, and may be threatening Mitt Romney's lead in New Hampshire.
December 5, 2011
37% Hold Favorable View of Boehner, 31% Say Same of Pelosi
It’s been nearly a year since she was arguably the most powerful person in Congress, but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains the best-known and most unpopular congressional leader. She continues to hold a double-digit lead in terms of unfavorables over John Boehner who took her place as speaker.
December 4, 2011
35% Say It’s Still Possible for Anyone in America to Get Rich By Working Hard
At a time when many Americans are lashing out at the top 1% income earners, the number of adults who believe it is possible for anyone in America to work hard and get rich is at its highest level in nearly three years. But one-out-of-two still don't share that belief.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 35% say it is still possible for anyone living in America to work hard and get rich, up three points from September and a finding that has ranged from 26% to 34% since January 2009.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 27-28, 2011 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.
December 3, 2011
Trump? The Republican Primary Is Now Officially A Gong Show By Joe Conason
Marketing genius is perhaps the most appropriate way to describe Donald J. Trump's newest incarnation as the announced host -- he can hardly be called a "moderator" -- of a post-Christmas Republican debate sponsored by Newsmax, the conservative magazine. Why did several candidates, including potential victim Jon Huntsman, instantly agree to join this spectacle?
December 3, 2011
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending December 2, 2011
Flavor of the month or the next presidential nominee of the Republican Party?
As Herman Cain’s campaign disintegrates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has surged to the largest national lead held by any candidate so far in the race for the GOP’s 2012 nomination. Gingrich earns 38% of the vote from Likely Republican Primary Voters. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is a distant second at 17%. No other candidate reaches double digits.
Gingrich also now edges President Obama by two points in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup – 45% to 43% - after trailing by 12 points two weeks ago.
Earlier in the year, both Texas Governor Rick Perry and Cain followed a similar path to take a slight lead over the president. However, their time as front-runners quickly came to an end. Neither man led the president more than a single time in a Rasmussen Reports poll. It remains to be seen whether Gingrich follows that path or is able to retain his status as the leading alternative to Romney. Scott Rasmussen discussed Gingrich’s surge with Fox News earlier this week.
