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Politics

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October 14, 2016

Should Trump Drop Out of the Race?

A growing number of Republican officials are asking their party’s nominee Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race, and one-out-of-four GOP voters think that's a good idea. Most do not, and Trump supporters overwhelmingly second that emotion.

October 13, 2016

Voters Don't Think They're Getting Good Return on Investment in UN

Following the news that the United Nations has appointed a new secretary general, voters say they like the UN, but don’t necessarily agree it’s worth the cost to the United States.

October 13, 2016

Voters Don’t Trust Feds To Protect Election System From Hackers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed hacking attempts on election systems in more than 20 states and has offered to provide states free testing of their systems before Election Day. While most voters are concerned about their state’s election system being hacked, they think state and local officials will do a better job protecting their vote than the feds will.

October 13, 2016

Voters Rate Bill Clinton's Behavior Toward Women Worse Than Trump's

Hillary Clinton jumped on the release last week of an 11-year-old video in which Donald Trump makes graphic sexual comments to say it shows her Republican rival's demeaning attitude toward women. But Trump countered that Clinton was an enabler who allowed her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to sexually assault women for years. Voters tend to agree with Trump that Bill Clinton's behavior was worse, but not surprisingly there's a sharp partisan difference of opinion.

October 12, 2016

Most Republicans Say GOP Leaders Hurt Party With Criticism of Trump

Most Republican voters still think top GOP leaders are hurting the party with their continuing criticism of Donald Trump and are only slightly more convinced that those leaders want Trump to be president.

October 11, 2016

More Voters Waiting Until Election Day To Cast Ballots

While Democrats are still more likely than other voters to say they plan to vote early this year if their state allows it, voters overall are even more likely than they’ve been in the past to say they’ll wait until Election Day to cast their vote.

October 10, 2016

Fewer Voters Say They’ve Changed Their Vote After Watching Presidential Debates

Despite the media circus surrounding the presidential debates this year, voters are less likely than they’ve been in the past to say they’ve changed their vote based on the debates and that the debates are a good indicator of where the candidates stand on the issues. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 24% of Likely U.S. Voters say they’ve changed the way they were going to vote after watching the debates between presidential candidates. Most (70%) have not. (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 October 6 and 9, 2016 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.

October 10, 2016

The ‘D’ Word and the Debate

Discipline was the word for last night’s second presidential debate.

October 7, 2016

Few Believe Fed Chairman Is Independent of Obama

Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Federal Reserve Board Chairman Janet Yellen for keeping interest rates low to prop up a weak economy for political reasons, an accusation the Fed strongly denies. But few voters believe the Fed chairman is actually the independent agent she is supposed to be by law.

October 6, 2016

Americans Admit 'Lone Wolf' Terrorists Tough to Stop

As attacks by radical Islamic terrorists proliferate, Americans acknowledge that little can be done to stop one person on a mission to kill.

October 6, 2016

Voters Say Trump’s Tax History Is Nothing Unusual in Business

The leak of Donald Trump’s 1995 income tax returns showing substantial financial losses that appear to have allowed him to avoid paying taxes for 18 years sent the media into a frenzy last week. But most voters say such behavior is par for the course in the business world and that a candidate’s policy positions are more important than how much he or she has paid in taxes.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 83% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that when most businessmen pay their taxes, they try to pay as little as possible. Only 12% feel they are more concerned with paying their fair share. (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 October 4-5, 2016  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.

[Rasmussen Reports analysts Amy Holmes  and Fran Coombs are available for interested media. Please call 732-776-9777 ext. 205 for interviews.]

October 5, 2016

Democrats Favor One-Party Rule More Than Republicans

When it comes to Washington, D.C., and the upcoming election, Democrats are more eager for the whole enchilada than Republicans are.

October 4, 2016

Are Americans Tuning Out the NFL Over Protests?

A sizable number of Americans say they may give the National Football League a pass this year, thanks to the player protests over racial issues. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that nearly one-third (32%) of American Adults say they are less likely to watch an NFL game because of the growing number of Black Lives Matter protests by players on the field. Only 13% say they are more likely to watch a game because of the protests. Just over half (52%) say the protests have no impact on their viewing decisions. (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 American Adults was conducted on October 2-3, 2016 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

October 4, 2016

Voters Place More Importance on VP Debate

Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Tim Kaine, a U.S. senator for Virginia, are set to square off in their first and only vice presidential debate tonight. Voters are a bit more likely to say the debate is important to their vote compared to the previous election, putting it nearly even with the presidential debates in that regard.

October 3, 2016

Most Say Their Politics Aren’t Influenced By Social Media

Most voters regularly use social media sites, but they insist that their political views aren’t shaped by what their friends and family post online.

September 30, 2016

Voters Don’t Trust Media Fact-Checking

Most voters believe news organizations play favorites when it comes to fact-checking candidates’ statements, but this skepticism is much stronger among voters who support Donald Trump than those who back his rival Hillary Clinton.

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September 29, 2016

Would You Boycott Trump Products?

A sizable number of Americans say they have boycotted businesses on political grounds, but how many would boycott those connected to billionaire Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump?

September 28, 2016

Voters Show More Support for Stop and Frisk Laws

Citing rising murder rates in several major cities, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump argues that police should be allowed to stop and frisk anyone on the street whom they consider suspicious. His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and other opponents of such laws say that minorities are unfairly targeted. Voters are more supportive of stop and frisk laws but remain concerned that they may violate some Americans’ rights.

September 28, 2016

Voters Say Clinton More Qualified Than Trump for Presidency

Voters still think Hillary Clinton is more fit to be president than Donald Trump.

September 27, 2016

Voters Expect Taxes, Spending To Rise Under Clinton, Less Sure About Trump

Voters think taxes and government spending will increase under a Hillary Clinton presidency but are less certain what will happen if Donald Trump is elected.