General Politics

48% Agree with Zimmerman Verdict, 34% Disagree

Reactions to the jury decision in the shooting of Trayvon Martin vary sharply along racial lines.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults agree with the jury’s verdict that Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman is not guilty of murder in the shooting death of the black teenager.  Thirty-four percent (34%) disagree with the Florida jury’s verdict. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 15-16, 2013 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% Put Checks and Balances Ahead of Government Efficiency

Politicians are often frustrated by the system of checks and balances built into American government, but voters continue to strongly support that protection.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is more important to preserve our constitutional system of checks and balances than it is for government to operate efficiently. Twenty-eight percent (28%) place more importance on efficiency, while 12% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 12-13, 2013 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.

53% Believe Boston Bombing Suspect May Receive Death Penalty

Accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleaded “not guilty” last week to 30 charges stemming from the April 15 terrorist attack and subsequent manhunt that left four people dead and more than 260 injured. Most Americans continue to favor the death penalty for Tsarnaev if he is convicted, but slightly fewer adults believe this punishment is likely.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 59% of American Adults believe the Boston Marathon bombing suspect should receive the death penalty if he is convicted. Twenty-two percent (22%) do not think Tsarnaev should get the death penalty, while nearly as many (19%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 11-12, 2013 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.

44% Favor Ending Senate Filibuster, 38% Oppose

Voters narrowly favor changing the rules in the U.S. Senate to end the filibuster, and half think every presidential nominee should get a straight up-or-down vote in the Senate.

In the Senate, a filibuster can prevent a vote from taking place unless 60 senators override it. Some Democrats want to change the Senate results so that a vote must be held whenever a majority of senators agrees, effectively eliminating the filibuster, and 44% of Likely U.S. Voters think that’s a good idea. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% oppose changing the rules to eliminate the filibuster. 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 July 12-13, 2013 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.

32% Are Conservative on Both Fiscal, Social Issues

More voters than ever now identify themselves as conservative on both money and social issues.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely Voters identify themselves as conservative on fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending and business regulation. Just 18% are liberal in this area, while 32% view themselves as moderates. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 2, 2013 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.

25% of Obama Supporters Think Gov't Should Closely Watch Most Tea Party Groups

Voters think most radical Muslim groups in this country should be under close surveillance by the government as possible terrorist threats but are a lot less suspicious of Tea Party groups. President Obama’s supporters, however, feel similarly about monitoring both groups. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most radical Muslim groups in America should be monitored by the government as potential terrorists. Just 14% think most Tea Party groups should be monitored by the government as possible terror threats. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 5, 2013 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.

52% Think It’s Good NSA Domestic Spying Was Exposed, 23% Disagree

Most voters think it’s good that Edward Snowden revealed the National Security Agency’s secret domestic surveillance program, but they’re still not sure if he’s a hero or a villain.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is good for the nation that the American people know more about the NSA surveillance program. Just 23% feel it’s bad for the country, but 25% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on July 2, 2013 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. 

63% View Too-Powerful Government As Bigger Threat Than Weaker One

More Americans than ever (63%) think a government that is too powerful is a bigger danger in the world today than one that is not powerful enough. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% disagree and think a government that is not powerful enough is a bigger danger. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 19-20, 2013 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% Think Constitution Should Be Left Alone

Most Americans continue to believe the U.S. Constitution should be left as is and remain the nation’s fundamental law. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of American Adults think the Constitution should be left alone. Thirty-three percent (33%) believe minor changes are needed in the nation's foundational document. Just four percent (4%) feel major changes are necessary. Two percent (2%) think the United States should scrap the Constitution completely and start over. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 19-20, 2013 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. 

For Voters, NSA Case is Less of A Scandal but More of A Problem

Of the four major controversies now swirling around the Obama administration, the National Security Agency’s secret surveillance of the phone and e-mail traffic of millions of Americans is the one voters least consider a serious scandal. But as controversies go, they rate it slightly ahead of the others as a problem for the administration.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters consider both the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative organizations and the White House’s explanation of what happened when the U.S. ambassador was killed in Benghazi, Libya last year as serious scandals. That’s unchanged from six weeks ago.

Twenty-five percent (25%) view the IRS matter as an embarrassing situation but not a scandal, while 19% say it’s not big deal. Similarly, 23% consider the Benghazi affair to be an embarrassing situation but not a scandal. Seventeen percent (17%) see it as no big deal. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 30-July 1, 2013 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.

43% Think NSA Domestic Spying Put National Security Ahead of Individual Rights

President Obama, former Vice President Dick Cheney and others have defended the National Security Agency’s surveillance of Americans’ phone and e-mail communications as necessary for national security. But voters think they should have been more concerned about individual rights.

Some say there is a natural tension between national security and protecting individual rights, but a plurality (43%) of Likely U.S. Voters believes government officials have worried too much about national security at the expense of those rights in the NSA surveillance program. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% feel officials have worried too much about protecting individual rights. Thirty percent (30%) think the balance is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 24-25, 2013 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.

Only 37% Think Immigration Plan Likely to Become Law This Year

The U.S. Senate is expected as early as today to pass an immigration reform plan that opens the way to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, but few voters think the plan ultimately will become a reality.  Just 37% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely the immigration plan will pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives and be signed by President Obama this year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% say it’s unlikely the plan will become law. This includes 12% who say it’s Very Likely to pass and 15% who view it as Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 20-21, 2013 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.

26% of Obama Supporters View Tea Party as Nation’s Top Terror Threat

Half of all voters consider radical Muslims the bigger terrorist threat facing the nation, but supporters of President Obama consider the Tea Party to be as big a danger. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters consider radical Muslims to be the bigger threat to the United States today. Thirteen percent (13%) view the Tea Party that way, and another 13% consider other political and religious extremists to be the larger danger. Six percent (6%) point to local militia groups. Two percent (2%) see the Occupy Wall Street movement as the bigger terrorist threat. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 22-23, 2013 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.

72% Think NSA May Have Monitored Congress, Military Leaders, Judges

Most voters think the National Security Agency is likely to have violated one of the country’s most cherished constitutional standards – the checks and balances between the three branches of government – by spying on the private communications of Congress and judges.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that the NSA has monitored the private communications of Congress, military leaders and judges. That includes 45% who believe it is Very Likely. 

Just 14% say it’s not likely that the Executive branch of the government monitored the private communications of the Legislative and Judicial branches. Another 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 June 24-25, 2013 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% Want Border States to Determine When Border is Secure

One of the sticking points in the ongoing congressional debate over immigration reform is who will determine if the border with Mexico is actually secure enough to prevent future illegal immigration.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Likely U.S. voters favor letting the federal Department of Homeland Security make that call. That’s the approach currently in the Senate immigration reform legislation.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 20-21, 2013 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.

27% Favor Cutting Size of U.S. Nuclear Arsenal

Most voters still view nuclear weapons as critical to the country’s safety, and just one-in-four agree with President Obama’s call for a reduction in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal is at least somewhat important to the country’s national security, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 16% disagree. This includes 45% who view the arsenal as Very Important to national security, although that’s down from 57% in March of last year.  However, just three percent (3%) now consider America’s nuclear weapons as Not At All Important to the country’s safety. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 22-23, 2013 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.

34% View Justice System As Fair to Poor Americans

Voters continue to believe the U.S. justice system doesn't work the same way for all Americans.

Overall, 45% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the U.S. justice system is fair to most Americans, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-nine percent (39%) disagree. Sixteen percent (16%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 18-19, 2013 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 Political Leaders Send U.S. Soldiers in Harm’s Way Too Often

As the United States involves itself more deeply in Syria, most voters continue to believe that American political leaders put U.S. troops in danger too much.  Sixty-two percent (62%) of Likely U.S. Voters think our political leaders send U.S. soldiers into harm’s way too often, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just six percent (6%) say U.S. soldiers aren’t sent in to conflicts enough, while 24% say the balance is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 18-19, 2013 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. 

Among GOP, Rubio Faves Down 15 Points This Year

Senator Marco Rubio, widely expected to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, has seen his popularity with Republican voters slip in recent months.

Rubio, the most visible advocate of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform plan, is now viewed favorably by 58% of Republican voters nationwide. That down 10 points since May and 15 points since February. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 16% of GOP voters have an unfavorable opinion of him, while 25% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 20-21, 2013 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.

15% Favor Prosecuting Reporters Who Publish Leaked Information, 68% Disagree

Most Americans believe exposure of the government’s massive secret surveillance effort is likely to have hurt U.S. national security, but they don’t think reporters who reveal secret information should be punished for it. 

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of American Adults think it is at least somewhat likely that public disclosure of the National Security Agency’s phone and e-mail surveillance program has hurt this country’s national security. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% feel that’s unlikely.

This includes 21% who believe the disclosure of the surveillance program is Very Likely to have hurt national security and six percent (6%) who say it is Not At All Likely to have done so.  Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 17-18, 2013 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.