Current Events

Canada, Great Britain Still Top American Allies

Canada and Great Britain are still viewed by most as America’s top allies, and more Americans view Germany and Japan that way.

63% Favor Immigration Checks On All Routine Traffic Stops

Most voters still strongly agree with automatic immigration status checks when a police officer pulls someone over for a routine traffic stop.  They also continue to favor tough sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent or sell to them.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters say if a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally.  Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree.

58% Think Repeal of Health Care Law Likely

Most voters still want to see the national health care law repealed, and confidence that its days are numbered is at an all-time high.

63% Put Border Control Ahead Of Legalizing Illegal Immigrants

Most voters continue to believe as they have for years that immigration legislation should focus on border control.  They also remain supportive of a welcoming immigration policy with a few key restrictions. 

Voters Still Expect Little Improvement In Afghanistan

Voters continue to give a mixed response about the future of the war in Iraq, but remain more negative about the U.S. conflict in Afghanistan.

70% Favor Individual Choice Over Government Standards for Health Insurance

An independent panel advising the Obama administration released its recommendations last week on how the government should determine what level of coverage most health insurance policies should be required to have. But voters strongly oppose a government-mandated level of health insurance coverage.

Just 10% Know Government Can Spend Social Security Money Anyway It Wants

Working-age Americans remain skeptical about receiving their Social Security benefits even though they mistakenly believe money in the Social Security Trust Fund can be used only to pay promised benefits.

61% Say Global Warming Serious Problem

Most voters continue to believe global warming is a serious problem, but they still have mixed views on what the primary cause of climate change is. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely Voters say global warming is at least a somewhat serious problem.  Thirty-five percent (35%) don’t believe climate change is a serious problem.  Those figures include 28% who say it’s a Very Serious problem and 13% who believe it’s Not At All Serious.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 28-29, 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% Now See China As Threat to America

Americans believe more strongly than ever that China is a long-term threat to the United States, and they overwhelmingly feel that threat is economic rather than military.

51% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, 57% Say Law Will Drive Up Costs

Most voters still favor repeal of the national health care law, but support for repeal is at its lowest level since May. Most also continue to expect the law to drive up health care costs and the federal deficit.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 51% at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law, including 41% who Strongly Favor it. Thirty-nine percent (39%) at least somewhat oppose repeal, with 28% who are Strongly Opposed. (To see survey question wording.

52% Regard Vladimir Putin Unfavorably

While few Americans see Russia as an enemy of the United States, they still don’t have high opinions of the man who will likely reclaim his role as its president.

59% Oppose Government Loan Help for Alternative Energy Company Like Solyndra

The questionable financial dealings of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra and its ties to the Obama administration are drawing little public attention so far, but most voters agree government help is not the best way to develop alternative energy sources.

65% Put Border Control Ahead of Legalizing Illegal Immigrants

With the Legal Workforce Act, a bill forcing companies to check the immigration status of their employees, working its way through Congress, voters nationwide continue to believe overwhelmingly that when it comes to immigration legislation the focus should be on the border. 

59% Say U.S. Government Encourages Illegal Immigration

Most voters nationwide continue to believe government policies encourage illegal immigration and support using the military along the U.S.-Mexican border. But they remain divided as to whether the federal government or individual states should enforce immigration laws.

26% Support Elevated Status of Palestine, 38% Say It Will Hurt Israeli Peace Talks

The Obama administration is trying to avoid a vote at the United Nations next week that would elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority from a nonvoting “observer entity” to “observer state” for fear it would harm Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and incite violence in the region. A plurality of Likely Voters nationwide agrees that recognizing Palestine as a new nation would hurt its peace talks with Israel, but voters are also fairly undecided as to whether they think the UN should grant Palestine that independence.

Voters Remain Pessimistic About Iraq, Afghanistan

Confidence among U.S. voters that the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan will get better in the near future remains near all-time lows.

41% Say America's Allies Put It In Greater Danger

A plurality of adults nationwide thinks America’s allies are bad for the country.

10 Years After 9/11: 50% See al Qaeda as Weaker, But 61% Think Another Attack Likely

As Americans nationwide recognize the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, they do so feeling stronger than ever that the organization behind those attacks is being defeated.

24% Consider Al Gore An Expert On Global Warming

Despite winning a Nobel Prize and an Oscar for his work in the global warming area, most voters don’t consider former Vice President Al Gore an expert on the subject.

Voters See Sun As Global Warming Factor But Blame Humans More

Al Gore may think it’s "BS", but most voters believe solar activity has an impact on global cooling and warming. A narrow plurality gives human activity the edge over sun activity, though, when it comes to which one has a bigger impact on the problem.