Just 56% of Likely U.S. Voters recognize that the United States spends about six times as much on national defense as any other nation in the world. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 13% disagree and say it’s not true, while a sizable 31% are not sure.
Most voters continue to believe that the policies of the federal government encourage illegal immigration, but voters are now almost evenly divided over whether it's better to let the federal government or individual states enforce immigration laws.
The majority of voters still support repeal of the new national health care law and remain convinced that it will drive up the cost and hurt the quality of health care in the country.
An early look at potential 2012 match-ups indicates that the election is likely shaping up as a referendum on President Obama. That’s typical when an incumbent runs for reelection.
The United States has military defense treaties with over 50 nations around the globe from obvious ones like the United Kingdom and Germany to less predictable ones like Costa Rica and Iceland. What do Americans think we should do if these countries are attacked?
The drama on the streets of Cairo has many Americans thinking about national security and the role our country plays in the world these days.
A plurality of voters think the United States should remove troops from Western Europe and Japan and let them defend themselves. But when it comes to South Korea, most voters think we should stay.
More than half the states are challenging the constitutionality of the new federal health care law in court, many focusing on the requirement that every American must have health insurance. More voters than ever oppose that requirement and think states should have the right to opt out of some or all of the health care law.
In today’s economic climate, few voters consider themselves liberals on fiscal policy issues, but there’s a little more divergence of opinion when it comes to social issues.
Most U.S. voters believe the country’s military strategy should focus on defending the United States and its interests, but a sizable number thinks the strategy should concentrate on keeping the world peaceful instead. Either way, voters see economic challenges as a much bigger threat to the United States than challenges on the military front.
The new national health care law has made her one of the most powerful women in America, but nearly half the country’s voters don’t seem to know who she is.
Voters are worried that they’ll pay a lot more at the pump because of the ongoing political unrest in Egypt.
Most U.S. voters believe America's military is the most powerful in the world.
Voters give mixed marks to President Obama’s response to the crisis in Egypt, and many think United Nations involvement would make things worse.
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.
President Lyndon Johnson once reportedly said of certain right-wing dictators who were U.S. allies at the time, “They may be bastards, but they’re our bastards.” Most Americans seem to share the late president’s realistic assessment of U.S. foreign policy.
Voters are fairly evenly divided as to whether the federal government spends too much or too little on national defense, but most also appear to dramatically underestimate how much is actually spent.
Voters remain concerned that the new health care law will cause some employers to drop their health insurance coverage, and most still question the exemptions to the law the Obama administration is granting to some businesses.
Most Republican Primary voters are looking for experience in both the private sector and government in a potential presidential candidate. Private sector experience carries a bit more weight. They are also looking for someone who shares their views rather than simply picking someone who is electable.
For many Americans, the national color-coded terror alert system had become little more than a joke, so it's not surprising that a majority of voters agree with the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to abandon that system in favor of more specific warnings. A plurality also approves of the department’s reported interest in focusing more security on rail, ships and mass transit.
