General Politics

35% Have Favorable Opinion of Federal Government, 60% Unfavorable

Americans view local governments more favorably than their state and federal government, and generally prefer state and local solutions rather than turning things over to the federal government. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 35% of American adults have a favorable impression of the federal government. Sixty percent (60%) voice an unfavorable view. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 13-14, 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.

Distrust Growing: 70% Believe IRS Decision to Target Conservatives Was Made in DC

While the controversy over the National Security Agency surveillance program has dominated the news recently, concern about the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of Tea Party groups and other conservative organizations remains high and is inching up. Despite the large number of controversies engulfing official Washington, the number of people following the IRS scandal has actually increased in recent weeks.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 82% of voters nationwide are now following the IRS targeting story, including 44% who are following the story “Very Closely.” The overall number of voters who are following is up from 74% a month ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 16-17, 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.

Most Want Donor Disclosure from Tax-Exempt Groups

Most voters believe tax-exempt groups should publicly disclose all of their donors even though most recognize some will be harassed by political opponents.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe that groups like the Tea Party and Planned Parenthood should disclose all their donors. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 30% disagree and 13% 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 June 14-15, 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.

57% Fear Government Will Use NSA Data to Harass Political Opponents

There is little public support for the sweeping and unaccountable nature of the National Security Agency surveillance program along with concerns about how the data will be used.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters nationwide believe it is likely the NSA data will be used by other government agencies to harass political opponents. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 30% consider it unlikely and 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 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. 

24% Trust Federal Government to Do Right Thing Most or All The Time

Talk about a trust deficit.Just one-in-four Likely U.S. Voters (24%) now has confidence that when the federal government acts it’s doing the right thing most or nearly all the time, but that includes just four percent (4%) who say it almost always does the right thing.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of voters disagree, with 47% who trust the federal government to do the right thing only some of the time and 28% who think it rarely or never does the right thing. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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

Voters Rate Surveillance Controversy Most Serious, IRS Second

Voters now rate the federal government’s secret surveillance of millions of Americans’ phone calls as the most serious controversy in Washington, The Justice Department’s targeting of reporters and the Obama administration’s handling of events surrounding the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya are seen as the least serious.

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(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 June 10-11, 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.

Americans Still Have More Faith in Local Government Than in Feds, States

Americans continue to trust local government more than federal and state governments, but there’s a big difference of opinion based on party affiliation.  Thirty-four percent (34%) of American Adults have more faith in local government, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty percent (20%) trust the federal government more than the others, while 14% have more confidence in state government. But one-in-three (32%) are undecided. (To see question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 5-6, 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.

Despite Obama's Assurance, 68% Think It’s Likely Gov't Listening to Their Conversations

Last week, responding to the furor over the leaked news of massive government surveillance efforts, President Obama dismissed the concerns as “hype.” He added, “If people can’t trust not only the executive branch but also don’t trust Congress and don’t trust federal judges to make sure that we’re abiding by the Constitution with due process and rule of law, then we’re going to have some problems here.” (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

59% Oppose Government’s Secret Collecting of Phone Records

Most voters oppose the U.S. government’s secret collection of the phone records of millions of Americans and think the feds are spying too much on U.S. citizens these days.  Just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the government’s secret collecting of these phone records for national security purposes regardless of whether there is any suspicion of wrongdoing. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% are opposed to the practice. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 6-7, 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.

12% of Facebook Users Say Hate Speech A Very Serious Problem on the Site

Facebook has outlined new steps to identify and remove hate speech. But while most Americans believe hate speech is a serious issue in this country, Facebook users are less inclined to see it as a problem on the social networking site. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of American Adults think hate speech is at least a somewhat serious problem in the United States today, with 22% who consider it a Very Serious one.  Thirty-three percent (33%) don’t view hate speech as a serious problem, including eight percent (8%) who say it’s Not At All Serious. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 3-4, 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.

64% Say Most Members of Congress Don’t Care What They Think

Voters remain convinced that Congress doesn’t care what they think, and that includes the representative from their home district.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 16% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most members of Congress care what their constituents think. Sixty-four percent (64%) feel they don’t care what their voters think. Twenty percent (20%) 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 2-3, 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.

31% Favor Ban on Hate Speech

Americans remain overwhelmingly committed to their freedom of speech, but one-in-three think there should be a ban on so-called hate speech.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of American Adults believe allowing free speech without government interference is better than letting the government decide what types of hate speech should be banned. Twelve percent (12%) prefer government-regulated speech, while 16% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 3-4, 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% View WikiLeaks Suspect Bradley Manning As A Traitor

Most voters believe the WikiLeaks release of classified documents is likely to have hurt U.S. national security and think the American soldier who helped make the information public on the Internet is a traitor.  But they’re closely divided over whether that soldier deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 62% of Likely U.S. Voters think the WikiLeaks release of classified information is at least somewhat likely to have hurt U.S. national security. Twenty-four percent (24%) consider that unlikely. This includes 30% who say it’s Very Likely that public disclosure of the secrets hurt national security and just three percent (3%) who say it’s Not At All Likely to have done any damage. 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 June 4-5, 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.

56% View Feds As Threat to Individual Rights

The United States was founded on a belief that governments are created to protect certain unalienable rights. Today, however, more voters than ever view the federal government as a threat to those rights.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters now consider the federal government a threat to individual rights rather than a protector of those rights. That’s up 10 points from 46% in December. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 2-3, 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.

68% Consider Freedom of the Press Very Important

Even with the addition of Fox News’ James Rosen to the list of reporters whose phone records were subpoenaed by the Department of Justice, voters haven’t changed their opinions about the motives behind the department’s actions. Voters are also fairly evenly divided about the balance between press freedoms and national security concerns.  

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 2-3, 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.

Voters Give Biggest Trust Margin to GOP on Spending, Democrats on Environment

When it comes to voter trust, Republicans are far and away the leaders on handling government spending, while Democrats lead by a similar margin on environmental issues.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely Voters trust Republicans more than Democrats when it comes to dealing with government spending. Thirty-three percent (33%) trust Democrats more. This 16-point gap is the widest between the two parties since Rasmussen Reports started regularly tracking this issue in January. 

The GOP holds a similar 15-point advantage on issues affecting small business.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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Three national surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on May 15-16, 19-20 & 23-24, 2013 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.

26% Expect Murder Verdict in Trayvon Martin Case

With the trial in the sensational Trayvon Martin case just two weeks away, Americans are closely divided over whether the man who shot the Florida teen last year should be found guilty of murder.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of American Adults believe Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman should be convicted of murder for shooting Martin. Nearly as many (29%) think he was acting in self-defense. But a sizable 40% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on May 28-29, 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 Moving Guantanamo Prisoners To A U.S. Prison

Voters are closely divided over President Obama’s plan to close the Guantanamo prison camp for terrorists, but most continue to oppose bringing some of those inmates to the United States to make closing the camp possible. Most also think it’s unlikely the Guantanamo facility will be closed a year from now.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with the president’s decision to close the prison camp at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba.  Slightly more (45%) disagree with the president’s plan. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 25-26, 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.

36% Favor Use of Drones To Stop Terrorists in the United States

Voters are now more supportive of using unmanned drones to kill U.S. citizens overseas who pose a terrorist threat. A surprising number favor their use against terrorist threats in this country. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Likely U.S. Voters still favor the United States’ use of unmanned drone aircraft to kill terrorists, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But this marks a continuing downward trend from the 76% who approved of their use in February of last year just after President Obama acknowledged the program’s existence. Fourteen percent (14%) are opposed, with slightly more (17%) 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 May 23-24, 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.

Favorable Views of Tea Party Up 14 Points Since January

Favorables for the Tea Party have jumped since news broke that the Internal Revenue Service was targeting the grassroots movement and other conservative groups. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters now have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party. That's up 14 points from January but still down from April 2009's high of 51% when the Tea Party protests against President Obama’s spending policies first erupted.

Forty-four percent (44%) also now view the Tea Party unfavorably, although that's down five points from earlier this year. The latest findings include 18% with a Very Favorable opinion of the movement and 25% with a Very Unfavorable one. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 21-22, 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.