63% Say U.S. Should Stay Out of Libya Crisis
As official Washington buzzes with talk of possible U.S. military intervention in Libya, the majority of U.S. voters continue to favor a hands-off approach.
Politics
Most Recent Releases
March 8, 2011
March 8, 2011
Wisconsin Voters Oppose Weakening Collective Bargaining Rights in General But Strongly Support Specific Changes
As the dispute over Governor Scott Walker’s budget cutting proposals continues, Wisconsin voters remain strongly opposed to “weakening collective bargaining rights” but are very supportive of substantial changes in the collective bargaining process.
March 7, 2011
64% View Peace Corps Favorably
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Less than two months after President John F. Kennedy uttered these famous words in his inaugural address, he created the Peace Corps by executive order. Fifty years later, most Americans continue to have a favorable opinion of the government-run volunteer program.
March 7, 2011
52% Want Troops Home from Afghanistan Within a Year
A majority of voters, for the first time, support an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan or the creation of a timetable to bring them all home within a year.
March 5, 2011
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending March 4, 2011
President Obama once famously noted that “elections have consequences.” Legislators in Washington, D.C. and Madison, Wisconsin can certainly attest to the truth of that statement. Republican gains have translated into major budget battles involving issues and programs that Democrats have held dear for years.
March 4, 2011
Just 32% See Democrats' Agenda As Mainstream
Fewer than half the nation’s voters believe the congressional agenda of either major party is in the political mainstream.
March 4, 2011
Wisconsin Governor Walker: 43% Approval Rating
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker won his job last November with 52% of the vote, but his popularity has slipped since then.
March 4, 2011
Wisconsin Voters Prefer Spending Cuts to Reduce State Budget Deficit
As Governor Scott Walker and public employee unions battle in the court of public opinion, Wisconsin voters continue to see spending cuts as the proper path to solving the state’s budgetary woes.
March 3, 2011
Wisconsin Poll: Support for Budget Cutting, Not for Weakening Collective Bargaining Rights
Most Wisconsin voters oppose efforts to weaken collective bargaining rights for union workers but a plurality are supportive of significant pay cuts for state workers. Governor Scott Walker is struggling in the court of public opinion, but how badly he is struggling depends upon how the issue is presented. There is also an interesting gap between the views of private and public sector union families.
March 2, 2011
Obama’s Full Month Ratings Dip Slightly in February
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.
March 2, 2011
51% Say U.S. Shouldn’t Have Become Involved in Iraq
Looking back, a slight majority of Likely Voters believe the United States should never have gotten involved in Iraq in the first place. They also believe the mission there was more of a failure than a success.
March 1, 2011
Most Voters Express Little Knowledge of Obama's Energy and Education Secretaries
President Obama’s agenda includes an emphasis on education and utilizing clean energy, but most voters don’t know the Cabinet members the president is depending on to lead policy in these areas.
March 1, 2011
61% Say Complete U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq Unlikely This Year
A plurality of voters fears that the growing unrest in the Arab world will have a negative impact on the fragile political situation in Iraq, and most think it is unlikely that all U.S. troops will be out of that country by the end of the year as planned.
March 1, 2011
53% See Proposed GOP Budget Cuts As Pretty Insignificant
Congress is stalemated as Democrats fight $57 billion in spending cuts Republicans want to make in the federal budget for 2011, but most voters continue to believe that even the proposed GOP cuts won’t make a significant dent in the deficit.
February 28, 2011
58% Favor Government Shutdown Until Spending Cuts Are Agreed Upon
As Republicans and Democrats in Congress haggle over the budget, most voters would rather have a partial shutdown of the federal government than keep its spending at current levels.
February 28, 2011
53% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, But Voters Less Confident in Benefits of Repeal
Most voters still want to see the national health care law repealed, and confidence that repeal will actually happen is on the upswing. Belief that repeal will be good for the economy, however, has fallen to its lowest level ever.
February 26, 2011
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending February 25, 2011
Wisconsin and Libya. Angry protesters are in the streets. Here at home they’re exercising their democratic rights in a budget battle; over there, they’re being shot down for seeking democratic rights in real battles.
February 25, 2011
Voters Continue to Give Obama Low Marks on the Economy
Voters still are inclined to think President Obama can do a better job when it comes to the economy.
February 25, 2011
46% View Unionized Teachers As a Bad Thing, 37% Disagree
Americans continue to believe strongly that being a teacher is an essential job, but a plurality thinks it’s a bad thing that most teachers are unionized.
February 25, 2011
Most Americans Favor End To U.S. Foreign Aid To Middle East, Except Israel
Egypt has long been the second largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, but despite its apparent turn toward democracy and similar ongoing moves in neighboring countries, most Americans want to end that aid to all Arab nations in the Middle East. Just over half favor continuing foreign aid to the number one recipient, Israel.
