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April 16, 2015

Voters Rate Obama, GOP Congress As Harmful to Presidential Nominees

A lot can happen in the nearly 19 months between now and Election Day, but right now voters agree President Obama and the Republican-led Congress are problems for the presidential candidates of their respective political parties.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters think the president’s record in office will help the next Democratic presidential candidate. A plurality (47%) believes Obama’s record in the White House since 2009 will hurt his party’s nominee instead, while 22% say it will have no impact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 5-6, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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April 16, 2015

Often There's No Sensible Middle By Froma Harrop

Some time ago, I heard a power company executive arguing that humans have played no role in global warming. Actually, he went further, "demonstrating" that global warming isn't even happening. (This is often done by cherry-picking dates to start with an unusually warm year.) He ended by spreading his arms and beseeching us in his common-sense voice, "Can't we meet in the sensible middle?"

April 16, 2015

Rubio for President?

Senator Marco Rubio is the third Republican to officially announce his candidacy for president, and GOP voters think he has about the same shot as his announced rivals to win the party’s nomination. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 13-14, 2015 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.

April 15, 2015

Most Still Favor Parental Choice in Schools

Voters remain critical of the nation’s public schools and still strongly favor giving parents choices when it comes to their children's education. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S.Voters rate the performance of public schools in America today as good or excellent, while just as many (30%) rate it poorly. These attitudes have changed little in regular surveys since 2012. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 7-8, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

April 15, 2015

57% Think Hillary Clinton Likely To Win in 2016

Most voters think Hillary Clinton will be the next president of the United States even though they have very mixed feelings about her. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 13-14, 2015 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.

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April 15, 2015

Freedom of and from Religion by John Stossel

Religious oppression was one reason many of our ancestors came to America. They wanted to escape rulers who demanded that everyone worship their way. In Ireland, Catholics couldn't vote or own a gun.

Tax Overpayment
April 15, 2015

Do You Pay Your Fair Share in Taxes?

Most Americans say they are filing their income taxes on time this year, but over half think they are paying more than they should.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of American Adults believe that, compared to people who make more or less than they do, they pay more than their fair share of taxes. Twenty-three percent (23%) disagree, but just as many (24%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on April 12-13, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

April 14, 2015

Most Will Pay Up - Again - by Tax Day

Most Americans are on schedule to file their income taxes by tomorrow’s deadline, with half expecting a refund.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of American Adults have already filed their income taxes, with 10% more who say they’ll do so by tomorrow. Six percent (6%) plan to seek an extension, while nine percent (9%) are still not sure what they’ll do at this late date. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 800 American Adults nationwide was conducted on April 12-13, 2015 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.

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April 14, 2015

A Very Fluid Race for the Republican Nomination By Michael Barone

Two weeks ago, Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president at Liberty University, and last week, Rand Paul announced at the Galt House hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Marco Rubio is expected to announce this week at the Freedom Tower in Miami. Others will follow.

So what have we learned about the race for the Republican nomination for president so far?

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April 14, 2015

Farming Moves North With the Temperatures By Froma Harrop

Before there was a California, New England fed itself. Somehow. The soil was lousy, the climate cold and the diet limited (lots of cabbage, no avocados). At least there was plenty of water.   

April 14, 2015

Is Your Water Supply Safe?

While California is making headlines with its mandated reduction in water usage, Americans are overwhelmingly confident in their own water supply. But many question whether their local governments are doing enough to protect it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on April 6-7, 2015 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.

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April 13, 2015

Clinton's Short List of Rivals By Larry J. Sabato and Kyle Kondik

The least shocking announcement since… well… Rand Paul’s presidential launch last week is now in the books: Hillary Clinton is running for president.

The perfunctory announcement came Sunday afternoon via a roughly 2.5-minute video, which is clearly targeted at key Democratic constituencies, like women, minorities, gays and lesbians, and labor. Clinton herself doesn’t appear until after the video’s halfway point, and she doesn’t interact with any of the others in the video.

April 13, 2015

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending April 9. 

This finding is unchanged from the previous two weeks. Three weeks ago, 27% felt the country was heading in the right direction, the lowest level of confidence this year. The number of voters who think the country is heading in the right direction has been 30% or higher most weeks since mid-December after generally being in the mid- to high 20s since mid-June 2013.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook

The national telephone survey of 2,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from April 5-9, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

April 13, 2015

Clinton vs. Cruz, Clinton vs. Paul

Hillary Clinton, now officially a candidate for president in 2016, leads the first two announced candidates for the Republican nomination but earns less than 50% support at this early stage.

(To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 9 & 12, 2015 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.

April 13, 2015

Voters See Quality of Health Care Going Down

Voters are increasingly critical of the health care they get and predict it will get even worse under the new national health care law.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 70% of Likely U.S. Voters still rate the quality of the health care they receive as good or excellent. That’s down just one point from January but is the lowest finding in nearly two-and-a-half years of regular surveying. These positives have generally run in the high 70s and low 80s for most of this period but have been trending down since the first of the year.

Only six percent (6%), however, rate the care they get as poor, consistent with findings in past surveys. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 9 and 12, 2015 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.

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April 13, 2015

Obama Deal With Iran in Trouble by Michael Barone

Is the tide turning against President Obama's purported nuclear weapons deal with Iran? One sign that the answer is yes is the devastating opinion article in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal by former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz.

April 11, 2015

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending April 11, 2015

If news reports are to be believed, Hillary Clinton will finally make it official this weekend and formally declare her candidacy for president of the United States.

April 10, 2015

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 40%, Democrats 37%

Republicans are still ahead on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending April 9 finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican candidate in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 37% would choose the Democrat instead. Twenty-three percent (23%) prefer a third-party candidate or are undecided.

[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now--there are only a few days left!]

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook

The national telephone survey of 2,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from April 5-9, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

April 10, 2015

Regular Fast-Food Diners Don't Want to Pay More to Raise Minimum Wage

Fast food giant McDonald’s recently announced it will raise its hourly wage by more than 10% starting this July. But Americans aren’t thrilled about the possibility of paying higher prices for fast food to support those higher salaries.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of American Adults rarely or never eat at fast-food restaurants. Fifty-one percent (51%) eat at such restaurants at least two to three times a month, unchanged from last October. This includes 29% who eat fast food at least once a week. Twenty-two percent (22%) say they eat at a fast-food restaurant every now and then. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now.]

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 800 American Adults was conducted on April 2 & 5, 2015 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

April 10, 2015

Most Voters Expect Both Parties to Pick Presidential Candidates They Don’t Agree With

Looking ahead to next year’s presidential contest, most voters expect more of the same: two candidates with whom they have very little in common.

This marks little or no change from how voters looked at the major party presidential candidates in past elections. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

[Have we heard from you yet? The 2015 Rasmussen Reports reader survey is the most important poll we’ll take all year. Take the survey now--there are only a few days left!]

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 5-6, 2015 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.