Politics

49% Favor Stricter Gun Control Laws

Most voters continue to support increased background checks for potential gun buyers but only half want stricter gun control laws. Most also say the gun control issue will be important to how they vote in the next congressional election.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 73% of Likely U.S. Voters think strict background checks should be required for anyone to buy a gun in the United States. Only 18% disagree. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 19-20, 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.

Only 11% Think U.S. Can Ever Be Totally Safe from Terrorism

Most voters recognize that the United States can never be made completely safe from terrorist attacks like the one in Boston on Monday and think another terrorist attack is likely in this country within the next year.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that there will be another terrorist attack in the United States in the next year. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 17-18, 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.

23% Want to Close Guantanamo Prison for Terrorists

Most voters favor continued use of the Guantanamo prison camp for terrorists and remain concerned that closing the camp may lead to dangerous terrorists being set free.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 23% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the prison camp at the Guantanamo U.S. Naval Base in Cuba should be closed. Fifty-nine percent (59%) oppose closing the prison. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 15-16, 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.

51% Favor Imprisoning Terrorist Suspects Even Without Evidence to Convict

Following the deadly terrorist attack in Boston Monday, half of U.S. voters still support imprisoning terrorist suspects despite a lack of hard evidence to convict them.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters favor continuing the current U.S. policy of imprisoning suspected terrorists if they are considered a danger even if there is insufficient evidence to convict them. Just half as many (26%) oppose such a policy, but 23% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 15-16, 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.

54% Are Very Angry at Congress

There’s still a lot of voter anger in the country, especially as far as Congress is concerned.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 84% of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat angry at Congress, including 54% who are Very Angry. The overall finding is up five points from 79% in November 2011. Just 12% are not very or Not At All Angry at the nation’s legislators. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 11-12, 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.

19% Believe the Era of Big Government Is Over

President Bill Clinton in a 1996 address famously declared, “The era of big government is over,” but President Obama's agenda has led many to conclude that era is back. Most voters wish Clinton was right; few think he is.

Just 19% of Likely U.S. Voters, in fact, think the era of big government is over. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% do not believe that to be true. Twenty-eight percent (28%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

Sanctions on Employers, Sanctuary Cities Seen As Most Effective Ways to Stop Illegal Immigration

Most Americans continue to believe it is important to secure the border to prevent future illegal immigration, but there’s little talk about how exactly the government should go about doing that. Rasmussen Reports tested some of the tools that have been mentioned to see how effective Americans think they would be.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds 78% of American Adults think it is at least somewhat important to secure the border to prevent future illegal immigration, including 57% who view it as Very Important. Seventeen percent (17%) see border security as not very or Not At All Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 10-11, 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.   

23% Believe It Is Too Hard to Get An Abortion in America

North Dakota recently enacted the most restrictive anti-abortion law in the nation, and several other states are considering similar legislation. While the number of pro-choice voters remains near an all-time high, more voters than ever already think it is too hard to get an abortion in this country, but even more still think it's too easy to get one.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters consider themselves pro-choice when it comes to the issue of abortion, just below the record high of 54% reached in November. Forty percent (40%) say they are pro-life, up from January’s low of 36%. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

63% Think No New Taxes Are Needed

Voters make it quite clear that there’s no need for the federal government to raise taxes. They’d prefer more tax cuts instead but are much more closely divided on that question.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 28% of Likely U.S. Voters think additional tax hikes are needed to fund the federal government. More than twice as many (63%) disagree and feel more taxes are not necessary. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

29% Say U.S. Does Not Spend Enough on National Security

While most voters know the United States spends more on national security than any other nation, just one-in-three (33%) think the amount spent is too much.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that nearly as many Likely U.S. Voters (29%) believe the United States does not spend enough on its military and national security. Thirty-two percent (32%) think the level of spending is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

68% View Margaret Thatcher Favorably

Americans have a strongly favorable view of Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister who died on Monday.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of American Adults have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Thatcher, including 36% who have a Very Favorable one. Just 15% view her somewhat or Very Unfavorably. But 17% are not sure what they think of the woman who served as Britain’s political leader from 1979 to 1990. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on April 8-9, 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.

14% Are Fiscal Liberals, 34% Liberal on Social Issues

Voters remain more conservative on money issues than on social policy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters identify themselves as conservative on fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending and business regulation. Just 14% are liberal in this area, while 39% view themselves as moderates. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 3-4, 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.

57% Think U.S. Should Continue Building a Fence Along Mexican Border

Most voters favor the use of U.S. military on the Mexican border to keep drug violence out, but they also still think the U.S. should continue building a fence along the border.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should continue building a border fence, while 29% disagree. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure if the government should keep building a fence along the Mexican border. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 3-4, 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.

13% Expect Reduced Spending Under New Obama Budget

Most voters don’t expect government spending to be reduced under President Obama’s new budget proposal. But even if Congress and the president come to a budget deal, voters think it’s unlikely the deficit will actually be reduced.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 13% of Likely U.S. Voters think government spending will be reduced under the president’s budget plan. Fifty percent (50%) think spending will keep going up, while 24% expect it to remain about the same. Another 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 April 7-8, 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.

69% Favor Use of U.S. Military on Border to Keep Mexican Drug Violence Out

Voters remain more concerned about Mexican drug violence coming to this country than they are about illegal immigration, and most favor use of the U.S. military on the border to prevent it. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 34% of Likely U.S. Voters are more concerned about illegal immigration. Fifty-seven percent (57%) worry more about drug violence. (To see survey question wording, click here.) Those figures are little changed from four years ago.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 3-4, 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.

61% View North Korean Nuclear Attack on U.S. As Unlikely

Despite North Korea’s increasing threats, Americans now view a nuclear attack by the communist regime as even less likely than they did a month ago. They’re also more willing to help South Korea if it is attacked by its neighbor to the north.

11% See Those Who Want To Secure Border As Racist

Eleven percent (11%) of Likely U.S. Voters think people who want to secure the border and prevent illegal immigration are racist, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey. 

But two-out-of-three voters (67%) disagree with that assessment and say those who want more border control are not racist. Twenty-two percent (22%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 1-2, 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 26% Support Immigration Plan Without Tougher Border Control

President Obama argues that more border security is not a necessary first step before legalizing the status of illegal immigrants already here. But most voters are willing to support immigration reform only if it includes both border security and a way for some illegal immigrants to remain in the country.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor an immigration plan that gives illegal immigrants legal status to stay in the United States provided the border is really secured to prevent future illegal immigration. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% are opposed to this plan. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 1-2, 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.

44% Think Government Effort to Confiscate All Guns Likely

A sizable number of Americans think the federal government is coming after their guns.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that the government will try to confiscate all privately owned guns over the next generation or so, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty percent (50%) feel gun confiscation is unlikely. This includes 20% who think the government is Very Likely to make this move and 23% who say 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 March 30-31, 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.

55% See Major Cyberattack on U.S. As Act of War

Following the recent major computer attack on South Korea, Americans continue to worry about the safety of this nation’s computer systems, and most still believe a foreign attack on them should be viewed as an act of war.

Eight-four percent (84%) of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat concerned about the safety of America’s computer infrastructure from cyberattack, including 44% who are Very Concerned. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 14% are not very or Not At All concerned about such an attack. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 28-29, 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.