If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003.

General Politics

Most Recent Releases

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June 2, 2011

53% Say Major Cyberattack Should Be Viewed As Act of War

Voters express strong concern about the safety of America’s computer systems and think a major cyberattack on the United States should be grounds for forceful military retaliation.

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June 1, 2011

66% Worry Government Will Run Out of Money

Most Americans remain concerned about the federal government’s financial situation and think the majority of politicians want more of their money. 

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May 27, 2011

63% Say U.S. Society is Fair and Decent

Voters still believe U.S. society is fair and decent and tend to think President Obama doesn't agree with them.

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May 26, 2011

50% Expect U.S. Government To Go Bankrupt Before Budget Is Balanced

Voters clearly aren’t confident that their elected officials will wrestle federal spending under control. In fact, many now think the government’s more likely to go belly up.

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May 26, 2011

GOP Voters Still More Critical of Their Congressmen Than Democrats Are

Republican voters are slightly less critical of the job their representatives in Congress are doing, but most still think the legislators are out of sync with the party base. Democratic voters, by contrast, are not as happy with the performance of their congressmen as they were a year ago.

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May 25, 2011

56% Favor Spending Cap Tied to Population Growth and Inflation

Voters strongly comprehend that government spending has risen over the past decade, and most favor a cap on annual spending increases limited to population growth and inflation.

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May 22, 2011

Only 8% Rate National Security as Top Voting Issue

Just eight percent (8%) of voters nationwide currently rate national security issues such as the War on Terror as their top voting issue. That’s down from 20% on Election Day 2008 when Barack Obama was elected and down from 41% on Election Day 2004 when George W. Bush was reelected.

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May 18, 2011

Voters Uncertain Who’s Primarily Behind Military Operation In Libya

While both the United States and NATO military forces have been carrying out airstrikes in Libya to protect rebel forces and civilians from Moammar Qaddafi’s regime, voters nationwide have mixed ideas of who is taking the lead in the military operation at this time.

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May 17, 2011

63% Think It’s Likely Gaddafi Will Be Removed From Power

Most voters still expect Libyan Ruler Moammar Gaddafi will be removed from power as a result of military action now being taken by the United States and other countries. But there has been virtually no change in this expectation since Osama bin Laden was killed.

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May 16, 2011

Mixed Reviews for Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Following Bin Laden News

U.S. voters think that Enhanced Interrogation Techniques like waterboarding probably yielded some valuable information but are unsure whether they were needed to find Osama bin Laden.

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May 13, 2011

Just 23% Say Federal Government Has Consent of the Governed

Most voters nationwide continue to feel disconnected from their government and overwhelmingly believe that Congress puts party politics ahead of its constituents' concerns.

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May 12, 2011

64% of GOP Voters See Divide Between Public and Government As Biggest Since the American Revolution

Republican primary voters are pretty skeptical about the nation’s political leadership.

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May 12, 2011

53% Say Elections Are Rigged To Help Incumbents in Congress

Voters are still wary of the congressional election process but just over half believe elections are fair to voters.

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May 11, 2011

29% Say They’re Conservative On Both Fiscal and Social Issues

Voters remain more conservative fiscally than socially, but 29% characterize themselves as both fiscal and social conservatives. By contrast, only 10% of Likely U.S. Voters say they are liberal in both areas, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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May 11, 2011

65% Want U.S. To Stay Out of Syrian Crisis

Dictatorial Syria appears to be cracking down harder on anti-government protestors than any other country in the region except Libya, but U.S. voters are adamant about staying out of the problems of yet another Arab country.

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May 6, 2011

Just One-in-Five Think They Share The Ideology of the Average Democrat or Republican in Congress

Most voters continue to feel they have very little in common ideologically with the average member of Congress. But Republicans in Congress are now seen as more conservative than they were a month ago.

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April 27, 2011

72% Say Taxpayers Not Getting Their Money’s Worth from Public Schools

Voters overwhelmingly believe that taxpayers are not getting a good return on what they spend on public education, and just one-in-three voters think spending more will make a difference.

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April 26, 2011

67% Say U.S. Society Fair and Decent, 43% Think Obama Agrees

Most voters continue to believe U.S. society is fair and decent, but far fewer feel President Obama agrees with them.

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April 25, 2011

43% Say Most Members of Congress Are Corrupt

Mark Twain once said, “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.” A large number of Americans share that skepticism.

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April 22, 2011

55% Say U.S. Military Involvement in Libya Unlikely To End This Year

Most voters now expect the U.S. military’s role in Libya to last beyond this year.