General Politics

Most Favor Increased Use of Drones Against Terrorists

Despite President Obama’s acknowledgement last week that a U.S. drone attack on an al-Qaeda camp killed two hostages, including an American, voters remain strongly supportive of using the armed unmanned aircraft. Most also still believe the United States should use them even more. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 23 and 26, 2015 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 Government Has Too Much Power in America Today

Nearly two-out-of-three Americans believe the government has too much power in this country and that too many of their fellow countrymen are dependent on the government for financial support.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 62% of American Adults believe there is too much government power and too little individual freedom in the United States today. Just 10% think the opposite, that there is too much individual freedom and too little government power. Sixteen percent (16%) think the balance is about right, while 12% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 800 Adults was conducted on April 14-15, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 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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Most Complain of Unresolved Problems at the VA

Most voters think there are still serious problems at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and that the federal government needs to do more for those who have served in the military.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most of the problems with the VA have been cleaned up. Sixty-five percent (65%) think those problems still remain. Twenty-three percent (23%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 21-22, 2015 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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Voters Vote No on Online Voting

Americans rely on the Internet for more and more things in their daily lives, but most want to keep voting offline. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 19-20, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters Rate Obama, GOP Congress As Harmful to Presidential Nominees

A lot can happen in the nearly 19 months between now and Election Day, but right now voters agree President Obama and the Republican-led Congress are problems for the presidential candidates of their respective political parties.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters think the president’s record in office will help the next Democratic presidential candidate. A plurality (47%) believes Obama’s record in the White House since 2009 will hurt his party’s nominee instead, while 22% say it will have no impact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 5-6, 2015 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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Most Voters Expect Both Parties to Pick Presidential Candidates They Don’t Agree With

Looking ahead to next year’s presidential contest, most voters expect more of the same: two candidates with whom they have very little in common.

This marks little or no change from how voters looked at the major party presidential candidates in past elections. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 5-6, 2015 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.

Do You Want A Religious Freedom Law In Your State?

Most voters still oppose a religious freedom law in their state like the one adopted in Indiana. Yet despite concerns that such laws may lead to discrimination against gays and lesbians, voters also continue to strongly defend the right of a Christian photographer to turn down a same-sex wedding. Many also believe the media portray religious freedom laws unfairly.

Arkansas this week came a step closer to joining the 20 states that have laws prohibiting the government from forcing businesses to provide services they find objectionable on religious grounds, but 53% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose such a law in their state. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 35% favor a law that would allow businesses to refuse service to customers for religious reasons. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on March 30-31, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey 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.

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Voters Say Big Government Is Back

Bill Clinton made news when he declared nearly 20 years ago that the era of big government is over. Voters still prefer smaller, cheaper government but clearly recognize that Barack Obama, the next Democrat after Clinton to be in the White House, has reversed that trend.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% of Likely U.S. Voters now agree that “the era of big government is over.” That’s down from 18% last October and ties the lowest finding last measured in February of last year. Most voters (55%) disagree with that assessment, but a sizable 32% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on March 22-23, 2015 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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Voters Vote No on Ex-POW Bergdahl

Just over half of voters still disagree with the Obama administration’s decision to swap several Taliban prisoners for POW Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan.

The Army announced last week that Bergdahl will be charged with desertion as news reports have suggested since shortly after his release last May. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with the decision to trade Bergdahl for five Taliban leaders who were being held at the Guantanamo Bay terrorist prison camp.   Fifty-one percent (51%) disagree with that decision. Nineteen percent (19%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 26 and 29, 2015 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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Iran, Not Israel, Seen As Bigger Spying Threat

The Obama administration has accused Israel of spying on its nuclear negotiations with Iran, a charge the Israelis have denied. But while U.S. voters consider foreign spying a more serious threat these days, they continue to rank Israel well below China and Russia on the list of culprits.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 79% of Likely U.S. Voters consider spying by other countries to be a serious threat, up from 67% in late 2013. This includes 38% who say it’s a Very Serious one, compared to 26% who felt that way in the previous survey. Just 15% now say foreign spying is a not very or Not At All Serious threat. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 24-25, 2015 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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Who’s Been The Last Decade’s Best Secretary of State?

As far as voters are concerned, Condoleezza Rice has done the best job as the nation's chief diplomat during the past 10 years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters think Rice who served as secretary of State during the George W. Bush administration from 2005 to 2009 did a better job than John Kerry, the current secretary, and his predecessor Hillary Clinton. Thirty-two percent (32%) think Clinton did a better job serving as secretary of State, while just 14% say that of Kerry. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 18-19, 2015 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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Voter Concern About Cyberattack Jumps to New High

More voters than ever believe a cyberattack would do more damage to this country than a traditional military attack.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters think a cyberattack by another country poses a greater economic threat to the United States than a traditional military attack. That’s up 12 points from 49% late last year and the highest finding measured in surveys since June 2011. Just 16% disagree, while 23% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 18-19, 2015 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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Voters Feel No Rush to Make Lynch Next Attorney General

Voters are in no bigger hurry than the Republican-led Senate to make Loretta Lynch the next U.S. attorney general.

Just 33% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Senate should confirm the federal prosecutor from Brooklyn, N.Y., to be the nation’s highest law enforcement officer. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 27% oppose Lynch’s confirmation as attorney general, but 40% remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 22-23, 2015 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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Voters Are Less Supportive of Sending Troops to Fight ISIS

Voters tend to believe the radical Islamic State group (ISIS) is winning the war in Iraq but are much less supportive of putting U.S. combat troops in the fight than they were six weeks ago.

Just 25% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States and its allies are winning the war in Iraq, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-eight percent (38%) believe ISIS is winning. Just as many (37%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 18-19, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Most Voters Think Media Wrong on Race Shootings, Put Police At Risk

Following the shooting last week of two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, most voters think the media is overemphasizing shootings by the police and making their jobs more dangerous. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 24% of Likely U.S. Voters think white police officers shooting innocent black people is a bigger problem in America today than blacks shooting each other. Sixty-two percent (62%) believe black people shooting other blacks is the bigger problem. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 12 and 15, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Will We Soon Be Saying Madam President?

Voters are more confident that Americans will elect a woman president in the near future, although their willingness to vote for a woman hasn't changed. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 8-9, 2015 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.

Voters Still Hold Military In High Esteem

Overall confidence in the U.S. military is at an all-time high, while the number of voters who approve of the increased role of women in the armed forces continues to climb.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 73% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States has the best military in the world. That’s up three points from January and is the highest level of praise since regular tracking began in December 2013. Just 13% don’t think the U.S. military is the world’s best, while 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 10-11, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Voters See Feds As Hindrance More Than Help to Local Cops

The U.S. Justice Department last week charged police in Ferguson, Missouri with a widespread pattern of racial discrimination, prompting the police chief to resign, but few voters expect Ferguson to become any safer. But then very few think the federal government is much help to local police. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 12 and 15, 2015 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.

Voters Think America’s Prestige Has Suffered on Obama’s Watch

Voters are okay with the businesslike relationship President Obama has with most world leaders, but they think his administration’s policies haven’t helped America’s position in the world. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 10-11, 2015 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.

Vote - or Else?

Some have suggested making voting mandatory in the United States to raise turnout and create “a more moderate and more representative electorate.” But voters strongly reject that idea.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 25% of Likely U.S. Voters think all Americans should be required to vote and subjected to penalties if they do not. Sixty-five percent (65%) oppose compulsory voting such as the kind that exists in Australia and several other countries. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 10-11, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.