Just 6% Think Most Politicians Keep Their Campaign Promises
Voters remain overwhelmingly convinced that most politicians won’t keep their campaign promises, but they’re a little less convinced that their elected officials deliberately lie.
General Politics
Most Recent Releases
October 7, 2011
October 6, 2011
Only 36% Think GOP Debate Moderators Ask Mostly About Important Issues
Voters are fairly satisfied with the number of debates in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, but most don’t think debate moderators ask enough about the major issues facing the nation.
September 28, 2011
56% Favor Balanced Budget Amendment
It’s an idea that’s been around for decades of deficit spending and most voters nationwide like the idea of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But they don’t expect it to happen.
September 27, 2011
71% Favor Term Limits for Congress
Voters strongly support term limits for all members of Congress but don’t think it’s very likely the national legislators will vote to limit how long they can serve. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of Likely U.S. Voters favor establishing term limits for all members of Congress. Just 14% oppose setting such limits, and 15% are undecided about them. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
September 27, 2011
60% Still Favor Death Penalty
The execution of Troy Davis last week for murdering a Georgia policeman prompted controversy here and abroad, but it did little to shift opinions on the death penalty. Still, a sizable majority of Americans worries that people may be executed for crimes they didn't commit.
September 26, 2011
39% See 'Pro-Gun' As Positive Label, 27% Say It's A Negative
Rasmussen Reports periodically asks Likely U.S. Voters to rate political labels, and the latest national telephone survey finds that 39% consider it a positive when a political candidate is described as being “pro-gun.”
September 25, 2011
35% Say Legal System Places Individual Rights Over Public Safety
More than a third of voters believe the U.S. legal system worries too much about individual rights when it comes to public safety, but fewer believe it puts those rights over protecting national security.
September 21, 2011
Most Voters Think Democrats Led By the Left, GOP Led by the Right
Most voters see a clear ideological divide between the leaders of the two major political parties: The Democrats are led by liberals, and the Republicans are helmed by conservatives.
September 20, 2011
49% Think Neither Party in Congress Represents the People
Voters are more convinced than ever that neither major political party in Washington, DC is on their side.
September 18, 2011
44% Conservative, 40% Moderate, 11% Liberal on Fiscal Issues
Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Likely U.S. Voters remain conservative on both fiscal and social issues, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
September 16, 2011
39% Give Obama Good Marks on Libya
Now that anti-government rebels appear to have won in Libya, support for President Obama’s decision to aid them is up slightly, but voters are still dubious that the change will be better for the United States or the Libyan people.
September 15, 2011
64% Say Boeing Should Be Allowed to Operate Plant in South Carolina
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) may be upset with Boeing’s plan to operate a non-union plant in South Carolina, but most Americans think it should be allowed to.
September 13, 2011
53% See Third-Party Candidate As Likely President in Next 10 to 12 Years
Voters see little chance of a third-party candidate being elected president next year, but most think one has a shot at the White House a little further down the road.
September 12, 2011
38% Favor Obama Jobs Plan, 36% Oppose
Voters think Congress may pass at least some of President Obama’s latest jobs plan but have much more confidence in reducing government regulations to create new jobs.
September 12, 2011
Just 21% Say 9/11-Driven Mission in Afghanistan Has Been Accomplished
Less than one month after the September 11, 2001 attacks, President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan to end that country’s harboring of al Qaeda terrorists training against the United States. Nearly 10 years later, with Afghanistan now America’s longest war, most Americans think that mission remains unfinished.
September 11, 2011
34% Say 9/11 Directly Impacted Their Family or Friends
One-in-three Americans (34%) say their family or friends have been directly impacted by the events that took place on September 11, 2001, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of adults say their family or friends have not been directly affected by the events of that horrific day.
September 11, 2011
66% Think America Has Changed for the Worse Since 9/11
More Americans than ever believe the nation has changed for the worse since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but most also still think the world would be a better place if more countries were like the United States.
September 9, 2011
73% Say Media More Interested in Controversy Than Where Candidates Stand on the Issues
Voters overwhelmingly believe the media’s more interested in playing “gotcha” with those running for president than with airing out where they stand on the important issues of the day.
September 8, 2011
44% Say Obama’s Views Are Mainstream, 44% Say Extreme
As President Obama prepares to address the nation on creating jobs, voters are divided on whether his views are best described as being mainstream or extreme. Voters also give mixed opinions about the Republicans vying for his job.
September 7, 2011
10% Trust America’s Political Leaders More Than Public on Key Issues
When it comes to key national issues, 73% of Likely Voters nationwide trust the American people more than their political leaders. These view have held fairly steady for years. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 10% trust the judgment of their political leaders more than the people.
