Politics

55% View Vladimir Putin Very Unfavorably

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity is surging in Russia, but his ratings in America are at their most negative. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 83% of Likely U.S. Voters have an unfavorable impression of Putin, including 55% who view him Very Unfavorably. Just eight percent (8%) of voters view Putin favorably, with one percent (1%) who view him Very Favorably. Three percent (3%) say they have never heard of him. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 22-23, 2014 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.

78% Favor Proof of Citizenship Before Being Allowed to Vote

A federal judge last week upheld the right of states to require proof of citizenship before allowing someone to register to vote. Voters continue to overwhelmingly support such a requirement.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 78% of Likely U.S. Voters believe everyone should be required to prove his or her citizenship before being allowed to register to vote. That’s up from 71% a year ago. Just 19% oppose that requirement. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 20-21, 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.

Just 11% Think Economic Sanctions Likely to Make Russia Give Up Crimea

Most voters oppose Russia's annexation of Crimea, but they overwhelmingly doubt that U.S. and EU economic sanctions on Russian officials will change the situation. However, few voters support more aggressive action if the sanctions don’t work.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% of Likely U.S. Voters favor Russia’s annexation of Crimea after citizens in the region last Sunday voted overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine. Fifty-eight percent (58%) oppose Russia annexing Crimea, but a sizable 30% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 22-23, 2014 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.

61% Oppose U.S. Giving Up Control Over Internet

The U.S. government announced last Friday that it is giving up its last bit of control over the Internet and turning it over to an international organization.But most voters think that’s a bad idea and expect countries like Russia and China to try to censor Internet content.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose the United States giving up its last remaining control over the Internet. Just 18% favor that move, while 21% are not sure about it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 18-19, 2014 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.

Montana Senate: Daines (R) 51%, Walsh (D) 37%

Republican Congressman Steve Daines is well ahead of interim Senator John Walsh and fellow Democrat John Bohlinger in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Montana.

A new statewide telephone survey of Likely Montana Voters finds that Daines leads Walsh by 14 points – 51% to 37%. Four percent (4%) like some other candidate in the race, and nine percent (9%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Montana was conducted on March 17-18, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

63% Oppose Adding Members to the House of Representatives

A national political analyst noted recently that U.S. congressional districts have far more people in them now than the Founding Fathers envisioned, and he suggested that the House of Representatives take on more members to decrease the voter-to-member ratio. But most voters don’t like that idea and think it would just make the House more out of touch.

Seventeen percent (17%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor a proposal to increase the size of the House of Representatives by 100 to 200 members to make congressional districts smaller and representatives closer to the voters. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% oppose adding more members to the House. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 10-11, 2014 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% Support U.S. Diplomatic Action Against Russia Over Crimea

The United States and Europe imposed travel and economic sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian officials following Sunday’s vote in Crimea to secede from the Ukraine and join Russia. Few U.S. voters believe Russia should be allowed to annex the Ukrainian peninsula, and just over half support diplomatic action against Russia if it does.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Russia should be allowed to annex Crimea. Forty-two percent (42%) disagree and say Russia should not be allowed to annex the peninsula despite the lopsided support for Russian annexation in Sunday’s referendum vote. However, a sizable 35% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 14-15, 2014 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.

New Low: 47% Say Tax Cuts Help The Economy

Despite news that President Obama is proposing $55 billion in new government spending and higher taxes in 2015, slightly fewer voters expect their own personal taxes to up during the remainder of his presidency. Most continue to believe increased spending hurts the economy, but for the first time, fewer than half of voters believe tax cuts help the economy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of Likely U.S. Voters expect their own personal taxes to go up under the Obama administration. That’s down eight points from December and is the lowest level measured since November 2012. Still, just eight percent (8%) expect their taxes to go down under Obama, while 43% expect them to remain about the same. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 12-13, 2014 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.

43% Favor Gay Marriage, 43% Oppose

Voters continue to see marriage more as a religious institution than a civil one and remain closely divided on the subject of gay marriage.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters view marriage as a religious institution. Thirty-nine percent (39%) consider it a civil institution. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 10-11, 2014 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. 

67% Think CIA May Have Undercut Senate Investigation

Voters give the Central Intelligence Agency lukewarm praise for its job performance and feel pretty sure it’s been illegally interfering with a congressional investigation of its work as a leading senator charged earlier this week.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 39% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the CIA’s performance as good or excellent, although only 13% think the spy agency is doing a poor job. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 12-13, 2014 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.

60% Say Air Travel Can Never Be Made Completely Safe from Terrorism

Most Americans don’t think the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner was a victim of terrorism but also believe air travel can never be made completely safe from terrorists. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 26% of American Adults feel that terrorism is the most likely cause of the Malaysia Airlines crash. Thirty-three percent (33%) think mechanical failure is the most likely cause, while nine percent (9%) feel it’s due to human error. Eleven percent (11%) attribute it to something else. Twenty-two percent (22%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1000 American Adults was conducted on March 11-12, 2014 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.

41% in Wisconsin Would Vote for Walker for President

Most Wisconsin voters don’t want Governor Scott Walker running for president, but more say they would vote for him if he wins the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

Just 22% of Likely Wisconsin Voters think Walker should run for president in 2016, according to a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone poll. Sixty-one percent (61%) oppose a presidential bid by Walker, while 18% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on March 10-11, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

60% Think More Government Spending, Higher Taxes Hurt the Economy

President Obama plans $55 billion in new government spending and higher taxes on some Americans for fiscal 2015, but most voters continue to believe that more spending and higher taxes hurt rather than help the economy. Cutting taxes, they say, is the better way to create new jobs.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters think more government spending and higher taxes will help the economy. Sixty percent (60%) believe that combination will hurt the economy instead. Only eight percent (8%) say they will have no impact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 6-7, 2014 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.

66% Favor Taking Sexual Assault Cases Away From Military Commanders

Voters agree that sexual assault in the military is a serious problem and approve of legislation just rejected in the Senate that would take jurisdiction over prosecuting those cases away from the military chain of command. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 82% of Likely U.S. Voters consider sexual assault a serious problem in the military today, with 49% who say it is Very Serious. Just 12% consider the problem not very or Not At All Serious. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on March 8-9, 2014 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.

50% Think Obama Has Raised Spending Too Much

President Obama’s proposed new $3.9 trillion federal budget includes $55 billion in new spending for fiscal 2015, but one-out-of-two voters think the Obama administration has already raised spending too much.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just over half (52%) of Likely U.S. Voters correctly recognize that government spending will keep going up under the president’s new budget plan. Thirteen percent (13%) think Obama’s new budget proposal will reduce spending, while 24% believe it will keep spending about the same. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 6-7, 2014 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.

Only 26% Think U.S. Spends Too Much on Defense

While the Obama administration is proposing major cuts in the national defense budget, fewer voters feel the United States overspends on defense, but awareness that this country spends more in this area than any other country has fallen to a record low.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States spends too much on the military and national security. That's down three points from November and the lowest finding since October 2012. Thirty-four percent (34%) don’t think this country spends enough on defense, down slightly from the previous survey but several points higher than found in most regular surveys for the last three-and-a-half years. Just as many (32%) believe the level of spending now is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 2-3, 2014 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.

2016? Hillary Clinton 47%, Jeb Bush 33%

The latest round of speculation about the 2016 presidential race stars former Florida Governor Jeb Bush whose Republican nomination could potentially lead to a matchup between two powerhouse political families. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton holds a double-digit lead over Bush in a hypothetical matchup, but half of voters are less likely to vote for Bush because of his family’s history in the White House.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that if the 2016 presidential election were held today, 47% of Likely U.S. Voters would choose Clinton, while 33% would opt for Bush. Fourteen percent (14%) prefer some other candidate, while six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 4-5, 2014 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.

55% in Texas Like Job Rick Perry Is Doing As Governor

Rick Perry is Texas’ longest-serving governor, and as far as most voters in the state are concerned, he’s still doing a pretty good job.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely Texas Voters at least somewhat approve of the job Perry is doing, with 21% who Strongly Approve. Forty-three percent (43%) disapprove of the Republican governor’s job performance, including 29% who Strongly Disapprove. (To see question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Texas was conducted on March 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

16% Think Young Blacks Better Off Under Obama

Few voters think life for young black Americans has improved under President Obama, and hopes aren’t high that the president’s new My Brother’s Keeper initiative will make things any better.

Just 16% of Likely U.S. Voters think life for young black Americans has gotten better since Obama’s election in November 2008, while 22% believe it’s gotten worse. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that half (49%) feel life for these Americans is about the same. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 2-3, 2014 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.

Just 23% Think Government Spending Cuts Likely Over Next Few Years

The Obama administration is proposing substantial cuts in the nation's defense budget, and most voters agree that across-the-board spending cuts are in order, as long as entitlement programs are not excluded. But few expect spending cuts of any kind in the near future.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters think thoughtful spending cuts should be considered in every program of the federal government. One-in-four (24%) disagree. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on February 26-27, 2014 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.