President Obama proposed today a freeze on the salaries of federal employees for the next two years as an effort to help rein in the growing federal budget deficit. Recent Rasmussen surveys suggest that voters think that's a good idea.
Most voters who fly appear comfortable with the federal Transportation Safety Administration’s new airport security measures.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Likely Voters nationwide recognize that the United States spends more on the military and national security than any other nation in the world. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 19% disagree, and 24% are not sure.
Voters are overwhelmingly clear: they want to believe that elections make a difference. But they remain deeply skeptical about the new Congress.
Forty-one percent (41%) of voters now recognize that the majority of federal spending goes to just national defense, Social Security and Medicare. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% disagree and say it’s not true, while 20% are not sure.
Voters are clearly dubious about the size and scope of today’s federal government.
Sixty-six percent (66%) of voters nationwide favor a proposal to cut the federal payroll by 10% over the coming decade. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that just 22% are opposed and 12% are not sure.
More than one-out-of-four Likely U.S. Voters (27%) now believe American society is generally unfair and discriminatory, the highest negative finding in over a year.
A strong majority of voters continue to favor a candidate who works to cut federal spending over one who tries to get a fair amount of it for his home district. Most also think a member of Congress who tries to maximize federal spending for his or her district has selfish motives.
Earmarks. Pork barrel spending. Call it what you will. Congress views the recent elections as a mandate to cut government spending, and first on the list is a ban on allowing legislators to steer money to their favorite home projects. But voters aren’t quite as gung-ho.
Every night, Rasmussen Reports asks voters what issues are most important to them when voting, and economic issues have remained at the top of the list for the past two years.
As the controversy over new airport body scanners escalates, voters feel more strongly than ever that the U.S. legal system is more protective of individual freedoms than it is of the nation's overall security.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters think the U.S. Supreme Court is too liberal, while 31% say it’s about right ideologically, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Maybe the new Congress should just take the next couple years off because voters sure aren’t very hopeful about what they are likely to accomplish.
A third Bush in the White House? Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has ruled out a presidential bid in 2012 but isn’t closing the door on running after that.
As George W. Bush tours the country promoting his new memoir, “Decision Points,” voters are a bit less critical of the former president than they’ve been in previous years.
Most new members of the U.S. Senate and House won’t be seated until two months after their election, and a plurality of Americans think that’s too long a time.
A majority of voters see the possibility of big things from the new Congress in the early going next year.
Most voters think Congress should wait until the new members take office in January before tackling any major new legislation, but even more expect Democrats to try to pass major legislation anyway in the upcoming lame-duck session.
National polling firms and others sorted out the many races for Senate and governor clearly identifying winners in most well before Election Day. However, seven Senate races and 11 governors’ races were still rated Toss-Ups by Real Clear Politics heading into the final day.
