Politics

59% Say Less Government, Not More, Would Help Close Income Gap

President Obama is expected to map out his agenda for reducing income inequality in his State of the Union speech tomorrow night. Most voters agree that income inequality is a serious problem in America today but don’t think government action is the best solution.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 69% of Likely U.S. Voters consider income inequality at least a somewhat serious problem in the United States today. That includes 45% who consider it a Very Serious problem. Twenty-eight percent (28%) don’t think income inequality is a serious problem, with 10% who say it’s Not At All Serious. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on January 23-24, 2014 and January 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.

21% Think Federal Government Has Consent of the Governed

Just 21% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the federal government today has the consent of the governed, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

That's up four points from the all-time low of 17% last reached in August but is generally in keeping with regular surveying for the past four years. Sixty-three percent (63%) do not believe the federal government has the consent of the governed today, Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 21-22, 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. 

51% Approve of Governor McAuliffe’s Performance in Virginia

Just over half of Virginia voters like the job Terry McAuliffe is doing so far, and the new Democratic governor is viewed slightly more favorably now than he was right before Election Day.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely Virginia Voters at least somewhat approve of McAuliffe’s job performance, with 24% who Strongly Approve. Thirty-six percent (36%) disapprove of how the governor is performing, including 18% who Strongly Disapprove. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters in Virginia was conducted on January 20-21, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

24% Think Iran Should Be Part of Syria Peace Talks

U.S. voters aren’t very optimistic about the U.N.-sponsored peace talks begun this week between the government and opposition forces in Syria, but one-in-four think Iran should be part of the process.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 28% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is even somewhat likely that the negotiations between the Syrian government and the anti-government opposition will lead to a peaceful political transition in their country. Fifty-six percent (56%) consider a peaceful outcome unlikely. This includes eight percent (8%) who believe peaceful transition is Very Likely and 20% who say it is Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 21-22, 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.

54% in Michigan Blame Detroit Bankruptcy on Bad Government

Most Michigan voters think bad government was the reason for Detroit’s bankruptcy, and half oppose a federal government bailout to ensure full funding of the pensions of retired Detroit employees.

A plurality (47%) of Likely Michigan Voters agrees with emergency financial manager Kevin Orr’s decision to have Detroit file for bankruptcy, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree with the bankruptcy decision. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Michigan was conducted on January 14-15, 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.

68% Expect NSA Phone Spying To Stay the Same or Increase

Despite President Obama’s announcement of tighter controls on the National Security Agency’s domestic spying efforts, two-out-of-three U.S. voters think spying on the phone calls of ordinary Americans will stay the same or increase.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters trust the president, the executive branch, Congress and federal judges to make sure the NSA program is abiding by the Constitution. That’s up from 30% in early June when the spying program was first revealed. Forty-nine percent (49%) still don’t trust the government’s top officials to keep the program constitutional, but that’s down from 53% in October. 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 January 19-20, 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.

58% Oppose GOP Plan for 500,000 Guest Workers Every Year

Republicans in the House of Representatives are proposing legislation that would allow the food industry to bring a half-million guest workers from other countries into the United States each year, and most voters don’t like the idea.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose legislation that allows food industry companies to hire 500,000 guest workers every year. Just half as many (29%) favor the proposal. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on January 15-16, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

46% Think Benghazi Will Hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016

Most voters now believe the Americans killed in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012 died in terrorist attacks, and a growing number think Hillary Clinton’s presidential aspirations are likely to suffer because of the Benghazi affair.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters think the circumstances surrounding the murder of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. Embassy employees in Libya will hurt the former secretary of State if she runs for president in 2016. That’s up from 43% in late October. Just four percent (4%) think the Benghazi issue will help Clinton if she runs for the White House. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say it will have no impact, compared to 41% three months ago. 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 January 17-18, 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.

51% Oppose Senate Plan to Triple Legal Immigration

Most voters still see legal immigration as good for America, but one-in-three favor cutting the number of legal immigrants to this country even if the border is totally secured to prevent illegal immigration. Just over half oppose a plan passed by the U.S. Senate to triple legal immigration over the next 10 years.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of Likely U.S. voters consider immigration, when done within the law, to be good for America. That’s down only slightly from 68% in March of last year. Twenty-three percent (23%) view legal immigration as bad for the United States. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on January 15-16, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

55% Still Believe U.S. Society is Fair and Decent

Belief that American society is fair and decent has reached its lowest mark since August 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national survey finds that just 55% of Likely U.S. Voters now view American society that way. Thirty percent (30%) disagree and think society in this country is generally unfair and discriminatory. That's down two points from 32% in October, the highest level of pessimism in over six years. Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on January 13-14, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

34% Think Best People Should Work for Government

Voters are evenly divided these days when asked if the best and brightest should work for the government.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 34% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s better for America if the best people take government jobs. But an identical number (34%) think it’s better for the country if those people go to work in the private sector instead. The remaining third (31%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.

77% Think Woman President Likely in Next 10 Years

Hillary Clinton is the early frontrunner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, and the good news for her is that voters remain overwhelmingly willing to vote for a woman for president. They’re not so sure about their family, friends and co-workers, though.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 77% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that a woman will be elected president in the next 10 years. That’s up from 60% in December 2006 when Mrs. Clinton was also the frontrunner for her party’s 2008 presidential nomination. Just 18% consider it unlikely a woman will be elected president in the next decade. This includes 37% who say it’s Very Likely and only four percent (4%) who think it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording,click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 13-14, 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 byPulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

North Korea Now Seen As Top U.S. Enemy

North Korea now has sole possession of first place on the list of top U.S. enemies, with fewer Americans now seeing Iran as a foe.

Eighty-one percent (81%) of American Adults view North Korea as an enemy of the United States, putting it again at the top of the list of 18 countries periodically tracked by Rasmussen Reports. A new national telephone survey finds that just two percent (2%) regard the politically isolated Communist country as a U.S. ally, while 10% think it’s somewhere in between an ally and an enemy. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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Two surveys of 1,000 American Adults each were conducted on January 4-5 and 10-11, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error for each survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Britain, Canada, Germany Are Seen As Top U.S. Allies

Regardless of what foreign policy situation the United States is involved in at the moment, Americans are consistent about which countries they consider the nation’s best friends.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 88% of American Adults view Canada as an ally of the United States. An identical number (88%) say the same about Great Britain. That again puts the two countries at the top of a list of 18 countries periodically tracked by Rasmussen Reports. Just one percent (1%) view those countries as enemies of the United States.

Five percent (5%) of Americans rate their neighbor to the north as somewhere in between an ally and an enemy of the United States; four percent (4%) say the same of Great Britain. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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Two surveys of 1,000 American Adults each were conducted on January 4-5 and 10-11, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error for each survey 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.

70% Think It’s Bad for the Country That Most in Congress Are Wealthy

“Get elected and get rich” seems to be the attitude of most American voters.

A new report says that for the first time more than half the members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are millionaires, but 70% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is bad for the country that most members of Congress are this wealthy.  A new Rasmussen Reports national survey finds that just four percent (4%) believe it’s good for the country, while 21% say it has no impact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.

48% Less Likely to Vote for Christie In 2016 If Retaliation Charges Are True

Roughly half of voters nationwide say they would be less likely to vote for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for president if it turns out he retaliated against an elected official who refused to support his reelection.

Forty-eight percent (48%) of Likely U.S. Voters say they would be less likely to vote for Christie in 2016 if it is proven that his office retaliated against an official who refused to support him, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirteen percent (13%) say they would be more likely to vote for Christie if that is the case. Thirty-three percent (33%) say it would have no impact on their voting decision. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 9-10, 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.

56% in NJ Think Christie Should Resign If He Knew About Fort Lee Retaliation

Most New Jersey voters think it’s likely Governor Chris Christie was aware of the Fort Lee traffic lane closures before they happened and should resign if this is proven. But voters in the state still think the governor is doing a better job than President Obama.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely New Jersey Voters believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Christie was aware that traffic lanes onto the George Washington Bridge were being closed as retaliation for the mayor of Fort Lee’s refusal to support the governor’s reelection. Thirty-six percent (36%) think it’s unlikely Christie was aware beforehand. This includes 30% who say it’s Very Likely he was aware and 17% who say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The state survey of 800 Likely Voters in New Jersey was conducted January 9, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is  conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 

39% Say Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq Have Increased Domestic Terrorist Threat

Voters strongly believe that radical Islam remains a threat to the United States, and a sizable number thinks the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have only made the problem worse.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely U.S. Voters consider radical Islamic terrorism at least a somewhat serious threat in this country, with 38% who considerate it a Very Serious one. Nineteen percent (19%) don't regard this terrorism as a serious threat, but that includes only three percent (3%) who say it’s 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 January 7-8, 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.

25% Favor U.S. Military Action in Iraq or Syria If Al Qaeda Takes Over

One-in-four voters is now prepared to take military action against Iraq or Syria if al-Qaeda-led forces win control there.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose U.S. military action against Syria or Iraq if either of those countries is taken over by al Qaeda or related terrorists. Twenty-five percent (25%) favor military action given this scenario. A sizable 34% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 7-8, 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.

Some Old Foes Seen As U.S. Allies By Most Americans

The United States fought two major wars in the 20th Century and engaged in a lengthy Cold War for several decades. But most Americans now view U.S. relations with two of those former enemies, Germany and Japan, very positively, while they remain skeptical of Vietnam, Russia and China.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of American Adults believe Germany is an ally of the United States. Just one percent (1%) still regard America’s foe in World War I and World War II as an enemy. Nineteen percent (19%) think Germany falls somewhere in between an ally and an enemy. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.