New Low: 17% Say U.S. Government Has Consent of the Governed
Fewer voters than ever feel the federal government has the consent of the governed.
Politics
Most Recent Releases
August 7, 2011
August 6, 2011
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending August 5, 2011
Americans don’t like the debt ceiling deal he agreed to, and confidence in the economy and the future in general are low and getting lower. But most voters think President Obama has a good chance of being reelected next year anyway.
August 5, 2011
71% Support Five-Year Lobbying Ban For Ex-Members of Congress
Most voters don’t think members of Congress should be allowed to lobby for several years after they step down.
August 5, 2011
62% Think Congress Unlikely to Cut Spending As Promised by One Trillion Dollars Over Next 10 Years
President Obama and Congress agreed to cut a trillion dollars in federal spending over the next decade as part of the recently concluded debt ceiling deal, but most voters doubt that will actually happen.
August 5, 2011
54% Think Obama’s Reelection At Least Somewhat Likely
Most voters think President Obama has a good shot at being reelected next year, even if he continues to pursue tax increases as part of any future deficit reduction plan.
August 5, 2011
91% Think Emergency Rooms Should Treat Those Without Health Insurance
Americans believe overwhelmingly that someone without health insurance should be treated in an emergency room if they are seriously injured, even if they are in this country illegally.
August 4, 2011
39% Say Health Insurance Companies Should Be Required to Cover Contraceptives
The Obama administration on Monday announced a new set of standards that require health insurance companies to cover all government-approved contraceptives for women, without co-payments or other fees for the patient. A plurality of Americans nationwide opposes this requirement and would like to have the option of picking their health plans based on cost and what coverage they need.
August 4, 2011
Vote for Bailouts Could Hurt Potential GOP Presidential Candidates
It’s been three long years since the Bush Administration told voters that the government needed $700 billion right away to avoid a financial industry meltdown. That legislation, known in the political world as TARP, remains very unpopular with voters nationwide and is a potentially potent factor in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
August 4, 2011
29% Favor Automatic Spending Cuts If Congress Doesn’t Reduce Spending By $1.5 Trillion
Although voters are skeptical that federal spending will actually be cut following the debt ceiling debate, a majority opposes automatic spending cuts if Congress doesn’t reach its reduction goals. A so-called Super Committee has been tasked with finding cuts of $1.5 trillion over a decade and recommending those cuts to the full Congress. If no cuts are agreed upon, automatic cuts are supposed to go into effect.
August 4, 2011
62% Would Vote to Replace Entire Congress
Congress just can’t win. Most voters still lack confidence even their own local representative and want to replace every single one of them.
August 3, 2011
68% Say U.S. Society is Fair and Decent
Voters continue to believe U.S. society is fair and decent, while the number who believes immigrants should adopt American culture hovers around the all-time low.
August 3, 2011
69% Say It’s Likely Scientists Have Falsified Global Warming Research
The debate over global warming has intensified in recent weeks after a new NASA study was interpreted by skeptics to reveal that global warming is not man-made. While a majority of Americans nationwide continue to acknowledge significant disagreement about global warming in the scientific community, most go even further to say some scientists falsify data to support their own beliefs.
August 3, 2011
Just 22% Approve of Debt Ceiling Deal, Most Doubt It Will Cut Spending
Most Americans disapprove of the debt ceiling agreement reached by the president and Congress earlier this week and most doubt it will actually reduce government spending.
August 3, 2011
72% Favor Inclusion of 9/11 Cross in World Trade Center Memorial
Americans think the Constitution calls for a separation of church and state, but they overwhelmingly believe that separation is not violated by plans to include the so-called 9/11 cross in a memorial on the site of the World Trade Center.
August 2, 2011
Election 2012: Generic Republican 47%, Obama 42%
A generic Republican candidate now leads President Obama by five points in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up.
August 2, 2011
Voters Favor Pay Cuts for Congress, President Until Budget Is Balanced
An overwhelming majority of voters nationwide want members of Congress to take a pay cut until the federal budget is balanced, and a plurality also thinks the president should chop his salary in half until that time.
August 2, 2011
Three-Way Race: Romney 34%, Bachmann 27%, Perry 26%
Candidates will fall by the wayside as the primary battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination gets under way. If the race were already down to just the three top candidates, Mitt Romney would still be just slightly ahead.
August 1, 2011
Obama’s Full-Month Approval in July Falls to 2011 Low
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.
August 1, 2011
Voters Divided Between Candidate Who Promises Debt Reduction with Only Spending Cuts and One Who Calls for “Balanced Approach”
The debt ceiling debate has highlighted the political difficulty of coming to grips with the federal government’s massive debt. Voters now are almost evenly divided over whether they prefer a congressman who would reduce that debt with spending cuts only or opt for a mix of spending cuts and tax increases.
August 1, 2011
Romney, Perry, Bachmann Run Close Among GOP Primary Voters
The inclusion of likely candidate Rick Perry has tightened the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination dramatically, with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney still ahead – but just barely.
