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                            July 2, 2014Obama’s Monthly Job Approval Rating Drops A Point in June
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.  
The president’s monthly job approval rating fell back a point to 48% in June, down from his year-to-date high of 49% reached in May and in February. His job approval held steady at 47% in March and April. Obama’s approval rating hit a two-year low of 45% last November during the troubled rollout period for the new national health care law. Since then, however, his approval ratings have returned to levels seen for much of his time in the White House.
(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.
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 15,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
July 2, 2014"Crapitalism!" By John Stossel
There's capitalism, and then there's "crapitalism" -- crony capitalism.
Capitalism is great because it lets entrepreneurs raise money so they can scale up and get their products and services to more people. If there is free competition, innovators with the best ideas raise the most money, and the best and cheapest products spread far and wide.
But it's crapitalism when politicians give your tax money and other special privileges to businesses that are "most deserving of help." Often those businesses turn out to be run by politicians' cronies.

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                            July 1, 2014Rasmussen Employment Index Slips One Point in June
The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence slipped a point in June after reaching its highest level in almost six years.
At 99.1, worker confidence is down from May’s finding of 100.1. In March, the index had hit a previous six-year high of 96.2. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 in October but gained steadily after that. It stood at 93.0 in June of last year.
(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 9,299 working Americans was conducted in June 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 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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                            July 1, 2014Colorado Governor: Hickenlooper (D) 44%, Beauprez (R) 44%
Colorado’s governor race is now a dead heat between incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper and Republican nominee Bob Beauprez.
Both men draw 44% support in a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Colorado Voters. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while eight percent (8%) are undecided. (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 750 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on June 25-26, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 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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                            July 1, 201444% Think Obama Less Faithful to U.S. Constitution Than Most Other Presidents
Most Democrats – and one-third of all voters – think President Obama should take action alone if Congress won’t agree with what he wants to do. But a plurality already believes the president has been less faithful to the Constitution than most of his predecessors in the White House.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that when it comes to dealing with issues the president considers important to the nation, the government should only do what the president and Congress agree on. Thirty-five percent (35%), however, think Obama should take action alone if Congress does not approve the initiatives he has proposed. Ten percent (10%) are undecided. (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 June 28-29, 2014 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.
July 1, 2014Why Government Isn't Working and How to Make it Better by Michael Barone
Government just doesn't work very well. That's the persuasive thesis of three important books published this year.
July 1, 2014Was Cochran's Win Good for Blue America? By Froma Harrop
From the happy reports, you'd think that liberals had only to celebrate the tea party's recent Mississippi defeat. True, Sen. Thad Cochran's winning strategy -- reaching out to Democrats, in particular African-Americans -- made for an especially gratifying runoff victory. 

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                            July 1, 201468% Think U.S. Needs Stricter Enforcement of Existing Gun Laws
Support for stricter gun control laws is up slightly from March’s recent low, but voters still feel much more strongly that there needs to be stricter enforcement of laws already on the books.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 46% of Likely Voters believe the United States needs stricter gun control laws. That’s up six points from March but similar to findings for much of last year. Slightly more (48%) still oppose stricter gun control laws. (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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 26-27, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology. 

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                            June 30, 2014Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 40%, Republicans 38%
For the third week in a row, Democrats lead Republicans by two points on the Generic Congressional Ballot. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, June 29, finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Republican instead.
This is unchanged from the week before. Democrats have been ahead for most weeks this year, with support ranging from 38% to 42%. Support for the GOP has ranged from 35% to 41% since January 1.  Democrats led Republicans 40% to 39% a year ago.
(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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from June 16-22, 2014. 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. 

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                            June 30, 2014Colorado Senate: Udall (D) 43%, Gardner (R) 42%
The U.S. Senate race in Colorado remains just as tight as it was before last week’s uncontested primary elections.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Colorado Voters shows incumbent Democrat Mark Udall with 43% of the vote to Republican Cory Gardner’s 42%. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while nine percent (9%) are undecided. (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 750 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on June 25-26, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 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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                            June 30, 201471% Think IRS Likely to Have Destroyed E-mails to Hide Guilt
Most voters think it’s likely the IRS deliberately destroyed e-mails about its investigations of Tea Party and other conservative groups to hide its criminal behavior. Two-out-of-three now believe IRS employees involved in these investigations should be jailed or fired, and most suspect the agency of targeting other political opponents of the Obama administration.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that the Internal Revenue Service broke the law when it targeted Tea Party and other conservative groups.  That’s up from 49% earlier this year and back to the level seen last September. Little changed from the early surveys are the 22% who think the IRS did not break the law. Slightly more (25%) 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 26-27, 2014 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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                            June 30, 2014Voters Still Strongly Favor Consumer Choice When It Comes to Health Insurance
Attitudes toward the new national health care law are largely unchanged this week, with just over half of voters still viewing it unfavorably and support for individual choice when buying health insurance remaining high.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters share a favorable opinion of the health care law, while 51% view it unfavorably. This includes 19% with a Very Favorable opinion and 38% with a Very Unfavorable one. (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 June 6-7, 2014 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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                            June 29, 201459% Think Summer Camp Important for Young People
School’s out, and most Americans consider summer camp a good alternative.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of American Adults think it’s at least somewhat important for young people to go to a summer camp. Thirty-nine percent (39%) disagree. This includes 20% who view summer camp as Very Important and 10% who say it's Not At All Important. (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 American Adults was conducted on June 25-26, 2014 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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                            June 28, 2014What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls: Week Ending June 28
Americans continue to worry about the state of the nation’s schools and believe the federal government still doesn’t get it.

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                            June 27, 201469% Think U.S. Public Schools Don’t Provide A World-Class Education
Voters still don't believe U.S. schools are producing the kind of graduates needed for this country to remain competitive with the rest of the world.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of Likely U.S. Voters continue to agree with President Obama that a “world-class education is the single most important factor in determining whether our kids can compete for the best jobs and whether America can out-compete countries around the world.” Only 20% disagree with the president's statement from three years ago, while 12% are undecided. (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 June 24-25, 2014 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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                            June 27, 201450% Favor a Government College Rating System
President Obama plans to implement a government rating system that will tie a college's performance in several areas including the earning power of its graduates to federal student financial aid. While Americans like the idea of a government rating system for colleges, they don’t trust the government to do it fairly.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults favor a government college rating system. Twenty-eight percent (28%) oppose such a rating system, while 22% are undecided. (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 American Adults was conducted on June 23-24, 2014 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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                            June 27, 2014Mississippi Senate: Cochran (R) 46%, Childers (D) 34%
Incumbent Thad Cochran, coming off his narrow win in Tuesday’s testy Republican primary runoff, still holds a double-digit lead over Democratic challenger Travis Childers in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Mississippi Voters finds Cochran with 46% support to Childers’ 34%. Ten percent (10%) prefer some other candidate, while nearly as many (9%) are undecided. (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 750 Likely Voters in Mississippi was conducted on June 25-26, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
June 27, 2014Liberals Champion Freedom of Speech -- Except in Politics By Michael Barone
I'm old enough to remember when American liberals cherished the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. They celebrated especially the freedom accorded those with unpopular beliefs and protested attempts to squelch the expression of differing opinions.   

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                            June 27, 2014Voters Blame Bush, Obama Equally for Current Problems in Iraq
Almost immediately after the situation in Iraq went from bad to worse, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle began pointing fingers at the opposing party’s policies. Voters are evenly divided over whether it was the actions and policies of George W. Bush or Barack Obama that have contributed more to the crisis in Iraq today, but the current administration gets lackluster reviews for its response thus far. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the Obama administration’s handling of the situation in Iraq as good or excellent. Forty percent (40%) say the administration has done a poor job responding to the crisis there. (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 June 24-25, 2014 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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                            June 26, 201433% Say Government Should Forgive Student Loans After A Certain Period of Time
President Obama recently announced that he will use his executive power to expand debt relief programs for those with student loans, including loan forgiveness after 10 or 20 years in the workforce. Americans are only slightly more supportive of forgiving loans after a given period of time than they are of forgiving all student loans, and most say lowering tuition costs would do more for college students than making loans easier to access.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 21% of American Adults think the federal government should forgive all student loans. This finding is unchanged in surveys going to back to 2011. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults think the federal government should not forgive all students loans, also in line with findings from 2011. Eleven percent (11%) 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 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 23-24, 2014 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.