FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What Our Wikipedia Page Should Tell You
Read more about our Wikipedia page Research & Recovery project – here.
What Is Rasmussen Reports?
Rasmussen Reports is a nonpartisan independent electronic data company specializing in the collection and publication of public opinion polling information. The company conducts national tracking surveys five nights a week on political, economic and lifestyle issues. Additional polls on state elections and other topics are routinely added to the mix.
Rasmussen Reports' work is followed by millions on a wide variety of media platforms. We regularly release our results at RasmussenReports.com, America's most visited public opinion website, and through a daily email newsletter, Twitter and Facebook. “If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls” is more than our slogan. It’s how we do business.
Is Rasmussen Reports Affiliated With a Particular Political Philosophy or Party?
Rasmussen Reports is an independent polling firm with a bi-partisan staff. We do not endorse any political philosophies, parties or special interest groups. Importantly, unlike other polling firms, Rasmussen Reports does not contribute money to candidates or political parties or groups.
Is Rasmussen Reports Founder Scott Rasmussen Involved With Your Work?
Mr. Rasmussen left the company in July 2013 and has had nothing whatsoever to do with the company since that time. Rasmussen Reports' core management team has been responsible for all polling and reporting for the past five years including the company’s successful 2014 and 2016 national election cycles.
What Is Your Polling Track Record?
Unlike our critics and the vast majority of the 2016 pollsters and pundits that confidently predicted Hillary Clinton’s historic presidency, Rasmussen Reports told readers the 2016 presidential race was always close. Then our polling targeting the popular vote nailed the exact margin between the top two candidates. Our 2016 polling work also correctly informed readers that issues, not the media-fed controversies, would ultimately decide the election.
In 2018 Rasmussen Reports invited Americans of all political persuasions to join their first ever Citizen-Sourced National Midterm Election Polling Project. Powered by Go-Fund-Me, the not-for-profit project targeted Senate and gubernatorial races in key national midterm election battleground states. In 2018 Rasmussen Reports’ traditional generic ballot question wording correctly identified the relatively rare split-party/split-chamber 2018 midterm results. For more on this, see our Wikipedia Research & Recovery article link above.
Rasmussen Reports’ 2014 full national midterm election polling results, the first under our then new management team, also were remarkably accurate: We correctly called 33 out of 36 Senate races (92% accuracy) and 32 out of 36 governor races (89% accuracy), with 2 races judged too close to call.
Unsurprisingly, our track record generates jealousy and partisan attacks, with many continuously calling us outliers. We’re not the outliers, they are.
What Is Your Polling Methodology?
Rasmussen Reports collects data for its survey research using an automated polling methodology. Survey questions are digitally recorded and fed to a calling program that determines question order, branching options, and other factors. Calls for part of our daily sample are placed to randomly-selected landline phone numbers through a process that insures appropriate geographic representation.
Using a single, digitally-recorded voice to conduct landline interviews ensures that every respondent hears exactly the same question from the exact same voice asked with the exact same inflection every single time. And the process is completely private. There is no live operator to potentially pass judgment on the respondent’s answers.
Like many other pollsters, we now also draw a sizable percentage of our daily sample survey results from special demographically balanced Internet Panels to capture the growing number of people who no longer have landline telephones. These panels are increasingly important because, unlike live-operator calls to cell phones, they both reach the younger demographic and do so while maintaining their personal privacy – just like in the voting booth.
To learn more about the specifics of our polling procedures, please consult our methodology page.
Why Do You Think Your Blend of IVR Interactive Voice Response Polling ("Robo-Calling") and Internet Panels Is Superior to Live Operator Surveying?
Rasmussen Reports' blend of IVR and internet panel polling enhances survey respondent privacy, which we believe increases survey accuracy.
Rasmussen Reports did a survey in late August of 2016 in which we asked Likely Voters: Compared to previous presidential campaigns, are you more likely or less likely this year to let others know how you intend to vote? Or do you feel about the same? Seventeen percent (17%) of Republicans – nearly one-in-five – said they were less likely in 2016 to tell someone how they intended to vote. That compared to just 10% of Democrats. If you’re looking for why Mr. Trump was the upset winner contrary to the predictions of other pollsters and pundits, this 7% difference is a good place to start.
Why Is It That Rasmussen Reports Surveys And Those Conducted By Other Organizations On The Same Topic Or Political Race Sometimes Produce Varying Results?
Every poll has its own DNA, if you will, and every aspect of it influences the results it achieves. Oftentimes, the difference is in the sample it surveys, adults vs. likely voters. Other times, subtle differences exist in the way the questions are asked. We recommend you look closely at how each poll you’re comparing differs in order to assess for yourself why the results may be polarized or similar.
Why Do The Percentages of Some Polls Equal More Than 100%?
It’s possible for a poll to be slightly over or under 100% due to rounding. For example, if poll results to a particular question were 40.6%, 35.7%, and 23.7% they would be reported as 41%, 36%, and 24% for a total of 101%. It is also possible for rounding to yield a result that totals 99%.
Where Can I Send My Ideas For a Poll Survey?
We always appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas with us. If you have insight on a poll or article we’ve done, or ideas you’d like us to consider for a future survey, drop us a line at info@rasmussenreports.com We’ll gladly pass the suggestion along to our polling and editorial staff accordingly.
How Can I Sign Up To Participate In A Rasmussen Poll?
The most important aspect of conducting a statistically reliable and unbiased public opinion poll is that the respondents must be randomly selected. Therefore, it is impossible to sign up for our polls. That said, we hope that if we contact you to take a Rasmussen Reports survey, you will have the time to do so. In the meantime, we'll also be keeping our readers in the loop on any new developments as we look to expand upon the methods we use to survey.
Who Is Responsible for Rasmussen Reports?
Rasmussen Reports is owned by Noson Lawen Partners, an institutionally backed U.S. private equity firm focused on providing equity capital to small U.S. information and media companies. Rasmussen Reports is run by Ted Carroll, President & Co-Founder of Noson Lawen Partners, Robert Stacy McCain, Managing Editor, and Mark Mitchell, Director of Polling Operations.
Is Rasmussen Associated With Media Outlets?
Rasmussen Reports is an independent media organization that acts as a resource for a variety of broadcast, print and online press outlets. Our information is cited by journalists, researchers, analysts and educators across the globe. We welcome the opportunity to forge media partnerships for content exchanges but insist on strict guidelines to assure we maintain our independence as a pollster.
How Do I Report a Correction?
Readers can alert Rasmussen Reports to any errors in articles or on the site by e-mailing info@rasmussenreports.com or by calling 732.776.9777.
Why Aren’t Your Congressional Ratings Surveys Broken Down By the House and the Senate?
While political activists often focus on the difference between House and Senate, most Americans do not. This is borne out it survey data and reflects the fact that voters are skeptical of Congress regardless of which party is in control.
In Your Senate Balance of Power and Electoral College Tables, What Determines Whether a Candidate or Party Is Safe, Leans or Is a Toss-up?
Rasmussen Reports has created a scale to determine where a state falls on the political scoreboard. The scale takes into consideration the point difference between candidates, results from previous elections, and the incumbent party.
What Will I Have Access to if I Do Not Subscribe to Rasmussen Reader?
All visitors will continue to have access to our home page (www.RasmussenReports.com), the daily presidential approval numbers, commentary, videos and press releases. Those who do not subscribe will only see headlines for the articles that are available to Rasmussen Reader subscribers.
What Do I Have Access to With the Rasmussen Reader Subscription?
With the Rasmussen Reader, you have access to more than 20 articles weekly that the public does not have access to, including those covering public opinion on politics, elections, the economy, business and lifestyle.
How Much Does the Rasmussen Reader Subscription Cost?
The Rasmussen Reader subscription costs $4.95/month on an automatically recurring basis or $34.95 for a 12-month period.
What Is the Cancellation Policy for the Rasmussen Reader Subscription?
Monthly subscriptions must be cancelled two days before the new billing cycle begins in order to prevent future charges. Yearly subscriptions are charged in advance for the entire subscription period and are not refunded if the account is cancelled before that time has expired. For more information, read the Terms and Conditions for this account.
What Is the Platinum Service?
Rasmussen Reports’ Platinum Service is a members-only micro-site on RasmussenReports.com where subscribers who pay a monthly fee get a deeper, more meaningful look at our polling. Members have an all-access pass to information not available to the general public, including demographic sample data, trend tables and archived articles. For more information on Platinum Service membership, click here.
How Is the Rasmussen Reader Subscription Different from the Platinum Service?
The Platinum Service includes will continue to be available at a price of $19.95/month or $199.95 per year. Platinum membership still includes exclusive access to everything our site has to offer, including detailed demographics from every poll, an advanced look at results, e-mail alerts when new results are released, unlimited access to archived articles, detailed toplines and trend data on topical issues in addition to information available to the public and Rasmussen Reader subscribers. See membership comparisons.
For more information about our subscriptions, click here, e-mail info@rasmussenreports.com or call 732.776.9777.
How do I renew an existing subscription or reinstate one that I had previously?
To renew your existing yearly subscription or to upgrade from a monthly subscription to a yearly one:
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- Click on the Your Account or My Account button at the top of the page.
- If you have an active yearly account, click on the Renew button at the bottom of the page, and skip to step 6.
- If you have a monthly account, click on the button that says, Cancel Your Membership and continue to step 5.
- Confirm that you want to cancel the account
- Click the Renew Your Membership button on your account page.
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Your account will automatically be extended 12 months from the day that your initial account expires.
I’m a Member of the Press. Who Can Help Me Get Information and Interviews?
We’re always happy to be a resource for journalists. E-mail info@rasmussenreports.com or call 732.776.9777.
Who Do I Contact About Advertising and/or Sponsorship Opportunities on RasmussenReports.com?
Our door is always open for new business opportunities. To explore creating a customized promotional opportunity with us, e-mail info@rasmussenreports.com or call 732.776.9777.
