Lifestyle

30% Have Favorable Opinion of Paterno, 51% Unfavorable

One-out-of-two Americans agree with Penn State’s decision to fire longtime football coach Joe Paterno following the disclosure of child sex abuse allegations against one of his former assistant coaches, but most don’t think the team should be denied a chance to play in a bowl game if it’s eligible.

However, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of Adults now hold at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Paterno, the 84-year-old football legend who has been coaching at Pennsylvania State University since 1966.

72% Have Grown Children Living With Them Or Knows Someone Who Does

Americans nationwide overwhelmingly agree that it’s more common for grown children to live with their parents these days, and they don’t think that’s a good thing.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 86% believe it is more common for grown children to live with their parents compared to 20 years ago.

64% Favor Jailing Sex Offenders Indefinitely If Necessary

As new disclosures emerge from the scandal at Penn State University, most Americans feel the criminal justice system is not aggressive enough in fighting child sex abuse and think that convicted offenders should be jailed indefinitely if officials feel they might strike again.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 87% of American Adults believe that child sex abuse is at least a somewhat serious problem in the country today, with 57% who say it’s a Very Serious issue. Just nine percent (9%) don’t consider child sex abuse a serious problem, including two percent (2%) who say it’s Not At All Serious.

(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 November 8-9, 2010 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.

PSU Gets Poor Marks for Initial Handling of Sex Abuse Reports

As the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University continues to unfold,  most Americans say the school's officials did a poor job handling the initial allegations that eventually led to the grand jury investigation of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that eight percent (8%) rate the way Penn State officials handled the initial allegations of child sex abuse as good or excellent.  Fifty-seven percent (57%) rate the initial handling of the situation as poor.

(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 November 8-9, 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.

New Low: 39% Favor Tougher Prosecution for Hate Crime Suspects

Most Americans continue to think the government is too worried about the concerns of minorities in this country, and support for so-called “hate crime” laws has fallen to its lowest level ever.

Only 27% Think Daylight Saving Time Saves Energy

Americans will gain an hour of sleep tonight, but a plurality of Americans don't think Daylight Saving Time (DST) saves energy as intended.
 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% of American Adults think DST is an effective way to save energy. Forty-three percent (43%) disagree, while another 29% 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 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 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.

60% Say Profiling Necessary in Today’s Society

Most Americans still believe in the need for profiling and feel it should be used to determine who is searched at airports.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of American Adults say profiling - the use of factors such as race, ethnicity and overall appearance to determine the subjects of security checks - is necessary in today’s society.  Twenty-seven percent (27%) disagree and feel profiling is an unnecessary violation of civil rights.  Another 13% are not sure.

(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 October 29-30, 2010 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.

Just 18% Say America Better Off Than Five Years Ago

An overwhelming majority of Americans don't think the nation is better off today than it was five years ago, but most would still choose to live here over anywhere else.
 
 The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Adults shows that only 18% believe America is better off today than it was five years ago.

The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 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.

23% Have Already Started Holiday Shopping

There’s still three weeks to go before Thanksgiving, but nearly one-out-of-four Americans have already begun their holiday gift shopping.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 23% have started their holiday gift shopping, while most (73%) have not. Only four percent (4%) have already finished their holiday gift shopping.

(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 November 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.

79% See Political Correctness As Serious Problem in America

Hank Williams Jr. won’t be singing the opening song for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” anymore as a result of a comment he made about President Obama. Some consider him the latest prominent victim of political correctness.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 79% of American Adults think political correctness is a serious problem in America today, up five points from a year ago.  Just 16% feel it’s not a problem for the country. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

34% Plan To Pass Out Candy on Halloween

There's more commercial emphasis on Halloween than ever but little or no change in the number of adults getting into the spirit of the holiday.

31% Believe in Ghosts

It's that time of year again for visits to haunted houses and tales of ghastly ghouls.  How about this for a story?  More Americans than ever say they believe in ghosts.
 
 A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that now nearly one-in-three American Adults (31%) believe in spectral phenomena. Sixty-two percent (62%) do not, but seven percent (7%) aren't sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

71% Say Volunteering Serves Community More Than Entering Politics

Americans still overwhelmingly believe that volunteering is more important than getting involved in politics in terms of serving their community, and most have done some kind of volunteer work within the past month.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 71% believe doing volunteer work for a church, community organization or charitable group is more important in terms of serving the community than getting involved in politics. Only 14% believe getting involved in politics better serves the place they live. Another 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

59% Rate Their Own Lives As Good Or Excellent

Although the nation is facing hard economic times, most Americans still regard their own life positively.   

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of American Adults rate their own lives today as good or excellent, including 22% who say their life is excellent.  Just nine percent (9%) rate their lives today as poor.  (To see survey question wording, click here).

59% See Years Before 40 As Best of Their Lives

For most Americans, the best years of their lives happen before they turn 40.

Americans Like Surveillance Cameras Except at Red Lights

Most adults nationwide support the use of surveillance cameras on police cars and in public spaces like train stations and parks, but they aren’t quite as sold on the idea of installing them at traffic intersections.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 86% of American Adults believe it’s a good idea for police cars to use surveillance cameras to monitor what happens when officers approach and apprehend suspects. Only 10% don’t like the idea. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

A majority (66%) also thinks there should be surveillance cameras in all major public spaces such as train stations, parks and sports stadiums. This idea draws opposition from 23% of adults, while 11% are undecided.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is planning on installing cameras on all buses, subways and trolleys by 2013 in part to foil false injury claims. Other big cities such as New York, Washington, DC and Atlanta have heavily increased use of surveillance cameras in recent years as an anti-crime measure.

But less than half of adults (44%) think it’s a good idea to use cameras at traffic intersections to catch speeders and those who run red lights. The same number (44%) does not see cameras at intersections as a good thing. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

(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 survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 11-12, 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.

62% Say Personal Responsibility for Health More Important Than Health Insurance

While the health care debate continues to dominate the political landscape, most voters feel individual lifestyle choices play a bigger role than their level of medical care in determining how healthy someone is. But there’s a wide partisan gap on the question.

60% Think Politics Behind Awarding of Nobel Prizes

Most Americans still question the prestige of the Nobel Prizes and think politics plays a part in who wins them.

48% Think Apple Will Remain on Cutting Edge Despite Jobs’ Death

Most Americans hold a favorable opinion of Steve Jobs, Apple Computer’s co-founder and CEO who died last week, and nearly half think his company will remain a technological leader despite his passing.

61% Still Think U.S. Should Celebrate Columbus Day

Christopher Columbus is still generally regarded as the explorer who “discovered” America, and most Americans think the United States should remember him with a holiday. But they don’t rate Columbus Day, celebrated officially today, very high on the list of U.S. holidays.