General Politics

Whites Are Much More Likely Than Blacks to See A Divided America

Going into Election Day, white voters are nearly twice as likely as blacks to believe America is a more divided nation than it was four years ago. For one-in-three of all voters, President Obama is what this election is all about.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Likely U.S. Voters say America is a more divided nation than it was at the time of the last midterm elections in 2010, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s down slightly from 67% in mid-July. Nine percent (9%) say the nation is less divided now, while 28% believe the level of division is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 25-26, 2014 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 Wary of Lone Wolves, Radical Islamic Terrorism

Following two deadly incidents in Canada that appear terrorist related, U.S. voters feel more strongly that radical Islamic terrorism is a threat to this country but also acknowledge overwhelmingly that not all so-called “lone wolf” attacks can be prevented.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 86% of Likely U.S. Voters now consider radical Islamic terrorism a threat to the United States. That’s up 11 points from January. Twelve percent (12%) disagree. This includes 50% who say this terrorism is a Very Serious threat and only three percent (3%) who feel it is Not At All a threat. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 23-24, 2014 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.

Americans Are Arguing Less This Election Cycle

Americans may consider this a more divided country than four years ago, but they’re arguing about it a lot less than they were before the 2012 election.

Twenty percent (20%) of American Adults say they have gotten into a heated argument with a friend of family member about the upcoming election, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But that compares to 45% in late October 2012. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 22-23, 2014 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.

54% Think U.S. Society is Fair and Decent

Voters continue to think American society is generally fair and decent and a large majority maintain that those who immigrate here should adopt the culture.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters think American society is generally fair and decent. This finding is down four points from July and is the lowest finding since July 2007. Prior to 2013, belief that American society was fair and decent regularly ran in the low-to-mid 60s. Thirty-three percent (33%) say American society is generally unfair and discriminatory, up slightly from last month. Thirteen percent (13%) 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 national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on October 9-10, 2014. 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.

Voters Strongly Support Limits on Food Stamp Recipients

Beginning next year, Indiana will limit how long some can get food stamps, and voters nationwide strongly support similar limits in their state. Just over half favor fixing a deadline for how long people can receive federal public assistance benefits of any kind.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a program like Indiana’s in their state that would limit access to food stamps to three months for adults without children who do not find work or do not participate in a 20-hour-a-week job training program. Only 24% oppose such limits in their state, while 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on October 21-22, 2014 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 Less Sour Toward Government Work

A modest plurality of U.S. voters now thinks the best and brightest should work for the government, though most still don’t believe doing so is more honorable than working in the private sector.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s better for America if the best people take government jobs. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree and think it’s better for the country if those people go to work in the private sector instead. Another 28% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on October 19-20, 2014 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 Worry ISIS Is Winning in Iraq

Few voters believe the United States and its allies are winning the war against the radical Islamic State militants, but a strong majority remains confident that ultimate victory is likely.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 15% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States and its allies are winning the war in Iraq. Forty-two percent (42%) believe ISIS is winning, while 31% say neither side holds the advantage. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on October 15-16, 2014 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.

40% Think U.S. Elections Are Fair

As Election Day nears, voters remain highly skeptical of their elected representatives and the overall electoral process.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 40% of Likely U.S. Voters think American elections are fair to voters, consistent with the findings for the past couple years and down from a high of 57% just before the 2012 presidential election. Forty-two percent (42%) do not believe U.S. elections are fair, although that's down from the mid- to high 40s in surveys since May 2013. The number who considered elections unfair ran mostly in the 30s in surveys for several years prior to that. Eighteen percent (18%) are now undecided about how fair elections are. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 13-14, 2014 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.

Tea Party Is Still Most Toxic Political Label

Many pundits have suggested that America is now a 50-50 nation politically, and a look at how voters react to political labels suggests that may be true. Being linked to the Tea Party is still the worst thing you can say about a candidate, but Republicans don’t agree.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that roughly the same number of Likely U.S. Voters consider it a positive description if a candidate is called a conservative (31%), a moderate (33%) or a progressive (30%).

Twenty-five percent (25%) think it’s a negative description to be called a conservative, while 39% rate it somewhere in between. Slightly more (28%) believe it’s a negative to be called a progressive, the label liberals have adopted to get out from under the “L” word, but 34% say it’s somewhere in between. As for moderate, only 15% view it as a negative description, while 48% see it as somewhere in between positive and negative. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 13-14, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error 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.

TV's Still Tops for Voters When It Comes to Political News

Voters still turn to TV over the Internet when it comes to political news, but the gap is narrowing. However, regardless of the source, voters are skeptical about the political news they are getting.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters are most likely to get their political news from television, while 30% are more likely to use the Internet. Just nine percent (9%) say they usually get their political fix from newspapers or magazines, while seven percent (7%) turn to talk radio. Five percent (5%) get their political news predominately from social media. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 9-10, 2014 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 Say State Electoral Debates Are Important, But Don’t Change Their Mind

As the midterm election season enters the final stretch, most voters consider debates important to their vote and good indicators of where the candidates stand. But for the majority, a debate has never changed the way they ultimately decided to vote.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely U.S. Voters think that, in terms of how they will vote, debates between candidates for statewide office are at least somewhat important, including 35% who consider them Very Important. Just 23% say such debates are not important to their vote, including six percent (6%) who say they’re Not At All Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 11-12, 2014 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.

Most Say Negative Campaign Ads Have Negative Effect on Voting

Political candidates produce negative advertisements about their opponents to try to gain more votes, but it turns out that effort has the opposite effect. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of regular television viewers think most political advertising on TV attacks the opposing candidate. Just 14% say most political advertising simply promotes the candidate who is paying for it. Twenty-three percent (23%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on October 8-9, 2014 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.

Americans Say Candidates Don’t Need Negativity to Win

Americans believe candidates don’t need to resort to criticizing their opponents and producing negative campaign ads to win an election.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of American Adults believe it is possible for a candidate to win an election without criticizing their opponent.  This finding is up from 49% in 2012 but still down from 64% in 2010. Twenty-five percent (25%) disagree, down from 39% in 2012. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on October 8-9, 2014 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 Want Era of Big Government To End

Voters continue to hold a negative view of the federal government and most say they want the era of big government to end.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the federal government, unchanged from August. This finding includes only four percent (4%) who have a Very Favorable opinion. Sixty-four percent (64%) view the federal government unfavorably, also unchanged from previous survey. This finding includes 27% who have a Very Unfavorable view.  Four percent (4%) 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 Likely Voters was conducted on October 7-8, 2014 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.

Voters Question Whether Either Major Party Has A Plan for the Future

Fewer voters than ever think either major political party has a plan for the nation’s future, with most still convinced that neither represents the American people.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is fair to say that neither party in Congress is the party of the American people. Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree, but 20% 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 orFacebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 7-8, 2014 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 China’s Economic Power Lets It Get Away With Abuses

Despite ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, American voters don’t think the U.S. government should be doing more to support the movement. But most also agree that America overlooks many abuses by the Chinese government because of that country’s economic power.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Obama administration should be doing more to support pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. Forty-one percent (41%) disagree, but just as many (38%) 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 5-6, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error 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.

Voters Think Secret Service Mistakes Happen More Often Than We Know

Though the recent security lapses by the Secret Service have been highly publicized, many voters think they are just the tip of the iceberg. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the recent mistakes in the Secret Service’s protection of the president were isolated incidents. Fifty-three percent (53%) think mistakes are more common than have been reported. Another 18% 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 national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on October 3-4, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters More Favorable Toward Women, Gays in Military

Voters have become more accepting of women and gay and lesbian soldiers taking larger roles in the U.S. military than they have been in the past.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters say the growing role of women in the military services is good for the military, tying February’s high, though that number has stayed in the narrow 45% to 49% range since polling began in late 2013. Just 15% now think women’s growing roles are bad for the military, down from 17%. One-in-three (30%) think it has no impact on the U.S. military. (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 Likely Voters was conducted on October 1-2, 2014 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.

One Year Later, 82% Say Government Shutdown Has Had Little Impact on Them

Voters think last year’s partial shutdown of the federal government never should have happened, but the vast majority acknowledges that the shutdown has had little or no impact on them personally. The shutdown began a year ago this week amid protests from President Obama and senior congressional Democrats that it would have a disastrous effect on the U.S. economy, and 26% of Likely U.S. Voters agree that the overall impact of the shutdown has been as bad as predicted. But the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% disagree and say the overall impact has not been as bad as predicted. Twenty-three percent (23%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 1-2, 2014 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. 

47% Think Holder More Interested in Politics Than in Justice

Voters think Eric Holder played politics as U.S. attorney general and hope President Obama picks someone who’s not like him to be the nation’s next top law enforcement officer. But those who view the Constitution as “a living document” are much more appreciative of his efforts than those who favor a strict interpretation of that document.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Holder was more interested in politics than in administering justice in a fair way. Just 28% disagree and think fair administration of justice was Holder’s chief interest. Nearly as many (25%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 27-28, 2014 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.