General Politics

42% Think VA Secretary Shinseki Should Resign

Most voters think it’s likely President Obama or his top staffers were aware of the problems at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs before they became public, and a plurality believes the head of the department should resign.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 26% of Likely U.S. Voters now have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), while 62% view that department unfavorably. This includes three percent (3%) with a Very Favorable view and 26% with a Very Unfavorable one. 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 May 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.

Bigger Problem in Politics? 48% Say Media Bias, 44% Campaign Cash

Voters overwhelmingly believe wealthy donors and special interest groups pull the strings in Washington, but nearly half still think media bias is a bigger problem in politics today.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the wealthiest individuals and companies have too much influence over government decisions. Just four percent (4%) say wealthy individuals and companies have too little influence in Washington, while 15% say their level of influence is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

47% Say U.S. Safer Today Because of Guantanamo Prison

Most voters still oppose closing the Guantanamo terrorist prison camp and moving some of those inmates to a U.S. facility. Nearly half think the United States is safer because suspected terrorists have been imprisoned there.

Democrats in Congress are again pushing legislation to close the Guantanamo facility, but a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% of Likely U.S. Voters think the prison for suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba should be closed. That’s up slightly from 23% in April of last year but still down dramatically from the 44% who favored closure in January 2009 when President Obama first announced his plan to do so.

Fifty-four percent (54%) disagree and say the Guantanamo prison should not be closed, consistent with most surveys for several years. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

46% View Major Cyberattack on U.S. An Act of War

Following a U.S. indictment of five Chinese military hackers charged with stealing commercial secrets, slightly fewer American voters are willing to call a major cyberattack on the United States by another country an act of war. But a plurality continues to be believe cyberattacks pose a bigger economic threat than traditional military attacks.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 85% of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat concerned about the safety of America’s computer infrastructure from cyberattack, including 43% who are Very Concerned. Just 13% are not very or Not At All Concerned about such an attack. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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. 

83% Think Americans Are Not Informed Voters

Most Americans think voters in this country don’t have enough say in their government, but at the same time they overwhelmingly believe their fellow countrymen don’t fulfill their responsibility to be informed about the things they vote on.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 90% of Likely U.S. Voters think voters in countries with democratically elected governments have a responsibility to be informed about major policy issues. Just five percent (5%) disagree, while another five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 17-18, 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.

45% Favor Gay Marriage, 41% Oppose

Support for gay marriage is up slightly this month, but voters still generally think it should be a state issue, not a federal one.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters now favor gay marriage, while 41% oppose. Support is up a bit from last month, when 43% favored gay marriage and 43% opposed.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

Just 21% Give Feds Positive Marks for Handling of Veterans Benefits

With the federal Department of Veterans Affairs embroiled in controversy, Americans give low marks to the benefits for those who have served in the military and rate the government’s administration of those benefits even worse. Those who have received the benefits themselves or have a family member who has are less critical, however.

Just 30% of American Adults rate the level of government benefits for military veterans as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-six percent (26%) consider the benefits to be poor. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on May 16-17, 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.

62% Say 9/11 Museum Film Should Not Be Changed Because of Muslim Complaints

Just half of Americans say they are likely to visit the new National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City, but most don't think a historic film shown there should be changed so as not to offend Muslims. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults say they are at least somewhat likely to visit the museum, but that includes just 18% who are Very Likely to do so. Fifty percent (50%) say a visit to the museum is unlikely, with 21% who are Not At All Likely to go there. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on May 16-17, 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.

38% Say Presidential Candidates Should Disclose Medical Records

Following comments by Republican strategist Karl Rove that Hillary Clinton’s health “will be an issue” in the 2016 election, voters are closely divided as to whether all presidential candidates should have to release their most recent medical records to the public. They feel much more strongly that candidates should have to release their most recent tax returns.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 38% of Likely Voters believe all declared presidential candidates should release at least their most recent medical records to the public. Forty-two percent (42%) disagree and say they should not have to do so. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

36% Favor Pulling U.S. Troops From Western Europe

As tensions remain high with Russia, voters are narrowly divided over whether the United States should pull its troops from Western Europe. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should remove troops from Western Europe and let the Europeans defend themselves. Thirty-nine percent (39%) oppose removing U.S. troops from Western Europe. One-in-four (25%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

41% Think Commercial Use of Drones Makes Flying Less Safe in U.S.

Americans worry that the increased commercial use of drones is making flying riskier in the United States and see a need for more government regulation of the unmanned aircraft. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the increasing use of unmanned drones in this country makes flying less safe. Thirty-four percent (34%) disagree, but 25% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 14-15, 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. Should Do More to Rescue Nigerian Schoolgirls

The plight of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamic terrorists has captured the attention of the American public, with voters much more supportive of helping rescue the girls than they are of further U.S. involvement in Ukraine or Syria.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters think the U.S. government should do more to help rescue the nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamic terror group Boko Haram in Nigeria. Twenty-seven percent (27%) oppose further U.S. involvement, while 33% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

Support for Transgender Anti-Discrimination Laws Turns on Public Restroom Question

Americans generally favor laws like those recently passed in California and Maryland that ban discrimination against men and women who claim to be the opposite sex, but opposition increases dramatically when they are told these laws may allow biological men to freely use women's public bathrooms and vice versa. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of American Adults favor a law that bans discrimination based on gender identity when it comes to employment, housing and public accommodations in their state. Thirty-four percent (34%) oppose such a law, but another 21% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted May 11, 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.

57% Favor Further Investigation of the IRS

Half of voters still believe the IRS broke the law when it targeted Tea Party and other conservative groups, and even more think the matter needs to be looked into further.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters think the Obama administration’s handling of the IRS matter merits further investigation. Just half as many (28%) say the case should be closed. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

57% Say U.S. Doesn’t Spend Enough on Roads, Bridges and Tunnels

Most Americans think the United States doesn’t spend enough on infrastructure like roads and bridges and believe that’s a job for state governments to tackle.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of American Adults think the United States spends about the right amount of money on roads, bridges and tunnels. Six percent (6%) feel the country spends too much on infrastructure, but 57% say it doesn’t spend enough. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on May 4-5, 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.

18% Say U.S. Should Do More to Help Change Syrian Government

As the devastating civil war in Syria drags on into its fourth year, U.S. voters remain just as reluctant about American involvement.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 18% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States should do more to bring about a change in the government in Syria. Forty-seven percent (47%) do not think the United States should do more. One-out-of-three voters (35%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

65% Oppose Tolls on Interstate Highways

President Obama is asking Congress to lift the ban on tolls on Interstate highways to help fund road repairs. Most Americans think that’s a bad idea, perhaps in large part because they doubt the toll revenue will be spent the right way.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of American Adults favor putting tolls on Interstate highways for infrastructure maintenance. Three times as many (65%) are opposed to turning the nation’s Interstates into toll roads, something that has been banned since 1956 when the highway system was created. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on May 4-5, 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.

51% Worry Government Won’t Do Enough to Help Economy

Half of voters still fear the government won’t take the necessary steps to help the economy, and most continue to think spending cuts are the way to do it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters are worried the federal government will do too much in reacting to the nation’s economic problems. Fifty-one percent (51%) are more worried the government will not do enough. 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 May 3-4, 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.

28% Have Favorable Opinion of the Federal Government

Fewer voters look favorably on the feds these days.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 28% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the federal government. Most voters (67%) continue to view the federal government unfavorably. These findings include just three percent with a Very Favorable impression of the federal government and 31% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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.

56% Favor the Death Penalty

Most Americans still support the death penalty despite the recent botched lethal injection given to the convicted murderer of a 19-year-old woman in Oklahoma. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of American Adults favor the death penalty, down slightly from 59% in March of last year, while 28% oppose it. Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on May 2-3, 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.