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December 5, 2013

Why Republicans Can't Address Rising Inequality By Joe Conason

So far, the Republican response to President Barack Obama's historic address on economic inequality has not veered from the predictable cliches of tea party rhetoric. It was appropriately summarized in a tweet from House Speaker John Boehner, complaining that the Democrat in the White House wants "more government rather than more freedom," ignoring his challenge to Republicans to present solutions of their own.

December 5, 2013

71% Will Decorate Their Home for the Holidays

More Americans than ever plan to decorate their homes this holiday season, but most haven't finished the job yet.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of American Adults say they will decorate this year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This finding is a seven-point increase from last year  and the highest number of home decorators in surveys for several years. Twenty-one percent (21%) will not decorate this holiday season. Eight percent (8%) haven't made up their minds yet. (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 December 1-2, 2013 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.

December 5, 2013

25% Are Looking for a New Job

Fewer workers than ever are willing to commit to their current job.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% of Employed Adults are looking for a job outside of their current company, consistent with surveys for much of this year. A sizable majority (64%) still says it’s not looking for a job elsewhere, but that’s down from 72% in October and the lowest finding in regular surveying since the spring of 2009. Ten percent (10%) are undecided whether to look or not. (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 600 Employed Adults was conducted on December 3-4, 2013 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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December 5, 2013

Real Charity By John Stossel

'Tis the season for giving.   

December 5, 2013

59% Believe Health Law Problems Unlikely To Be Fixed in Next Year

Despite assurances from the Obama administration over the weekend that the problems with the federal health insurance exchange website have been fixed, voters need more convincing that Obamacare is on the right track.

Only 37% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s at least somewhat likely that the current problems with the new national health care law will be fixed within the next year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% think that's unlikely. This includes 22% who say it's Very Likely those problems will be fixed in the coming year and 35% who say it's Not At All Likely. (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 December 2-3, 2013 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.

December 4, 2013

25% Say Country is Heading in the Right Direction

Twenty-five percent (25%) 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 December 1.

That's down one point from 26% the previous week. In early October during the federal government shutdown, confidence in the country’s course fell to 13%, the lowest finding in five years. A year ago, 41% said the country was heading in the right direction.

(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 on November 25-26 and December 1, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

December 4, 2013

48% Rate Obama Poorly on Economy

Positive views of President Obama's economic leadership have fallen to their lowest level in 18 months.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 32% of Likely U.S. Voters now give the president good or excellent marks for his handling of economic issues. These are his lowest positives since June of last year. Nearly half (48%) rate him poorly in this area, the highest level of criticism since August 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 December 2-3, 2013 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.  

December 4, 2013

40% Are Less Likely to Vote for an Obamacare Supporter, 38% More Likely

Voters say overwhelmingly that the new national health care law is important to how they will vote in the next congressional election, but one-in-three aren’t sure whether their representative in Congress voted for the law or not. Voters are almost evenly divided over how much influence the law will have over their upcoming vote.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Likely U.S. Voters say they are more likely for vote for a member of Congress who supports the health care law. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that slightly more (40%) are less likely to vote for an incumbent congressman or congresswoman who supports the law. Fifteen percent (15%) say a member’s position on the law will have no impact on their vote. (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 December 2-3, 2013 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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December 4, 2013

Will Americans Pay for American-Made? by Froma Harrop

Wow, this T-shirt costs only $8. Great color. Problem is, your finger could punch a hole through it. In most Americans' shopping experience, colors change and styles come and go, but there's one constant: low quality and a sweatshop-country label.

December 4, 2013

39% Say They Use Their Credit Cards Too Much

One-in-four Americans expects to miss a credit card payment in the near future, but even more admit that they need to cut back on their credit care usage.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 82% of American Adults have at least one credit card, including 38% who have three or more. Forty-four percent (44%) report having one or two credit cards. Sixteen percent (16%) say they don’t have any. (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

This survey of 829 Adults nationwide who have at least one credit card was conducted on November 26, 2013 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.

December 3, 2013

24% Have Had Credit Information Stolen Online

Most Americans are fairly comfortable using their credit cards online, but one-in-four say they have had information stolen that way.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 70% of American Adults with credit cards say they are at least somewhat comfortable using those cards for online purchases. Twenty-eight percent (28%) don't share that comfort level. This includes 32% who are Very Comfortable using a credit card online and 11% who are Not At All Comfortable. (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

This survey of 829 Adults nationwide who have at least one credit card was conducted on December 1-2, 2013 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

December 3, 2013

Rasmussen Employment Index Jumps Five Points

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence rebounded in November after falling to a low for the year in October.

At 85.7, worker confidence is up five points from October, the month of the partial government shutdown, but is still down nearly nine points from this year’s high of 94.4 in May.  Last month marks the highest level of confidence since August and is up seven points from 79.0 this time last year.

Generally speaking, an increase in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government report on job creation will be stronger than the prior month’s report.

December 3, 2013

48% Have Started Holiday Gift Shopping, 14% Are Finished

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, and a few more Americans have started - and finished - their holiday shopping.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults now have started their shopping for the holidays, up from 37% two weeks ago.  Forty-nine percent (49%) still have not begun yet. (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

This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on December 1-2, 2013 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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December 3, 2013

For Pakistan and the United States, it's one Delusion After Another By Michael Barone

Not many foreign policy experts would argue with the proposition that the country with which the United States has the most problematic relationship is Pakistan.  

Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com
December 3, 2013

81% Favor Repealing or Changing Health Care Law

Voters overwhelmingly want to change or repeal the new national health care law. One-out-of-two want to scrap it completely and start over again.

Given the problems associated with the law, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Congress and the president should repeal it and start again from the beginning.  That’s up from 43% support in late October. Another 31% think Congress and the president should go through the law piece by piece to improve it.

Just 16% want to leave the law the way it is, down slightly from 18% four weeks ago.  (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 December 1, 2013 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.

December 2, 2013

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 38%

Republicans have jumped to a five-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 1.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Democrat instead.

This is the largest lead Republicans have held since June 17, 2012, and the highest level of support the GOP has earned since just before Election Day in early November of last year. Republicans edged ahead of Democrats by one point two weeks ago, the first time they had led since early August, but Democrats regained the lead by one last week

(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 November 25-26 and December 1, 2013. 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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December 2, 2013

Welcome to the Kludgeocracy By Michael Barone

How is it possible that Barack Obama did not know that his beloved healthcare.gov website was a botch? That's a question many thoughtful people (including thoughtful Democrats) are asking.

We heard him say that he wouldn't have boasted that it would be as easy to use as amazon.com or obitz.com had he known that it wouldn't. I'm not "stupid enough," he said at his Nov. 14 press conference. Most Americans agree that's true.

December 2, 2013

Obama’s Full-Month Approval Hits Two-Year Low in November

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 total job approval dipped four points to 45% in November. That is down 11 points from last December’s recent high of 56% and is the president's lowest monthly approval in two years. The president's rating inched up a point to 49% in October following the government shutdown but took a hard hit in November from the problems surrounding the rollout of the new national health care law. In recent weeks, the president's daily job approval ratings have been at the lowest levels of his presidency.

(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

December 2, 2013

51% Oppose Health Law’s Contraceptive Mandate

Half of voters now oppose a government requirement that employers provide health insurance with free contraceptives for their female employees. But they remain closely divided when asked if a business should be allowed to opt out of such a mandate for religious reasons - the subject of a legal challenge of Obamacare now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters still believe businesses should be required by law to provide health insurance that covers all government-approved contraceptives for women without co-payments or other charges to the patient.  Fifty-one percent (51%) disagree and say employers should not be required to provide health insurance with this type of coverage. 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 Likely Voters was conducted on December 1, 2013 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.

December 2, 2013

56% Expect Health Care System To Get Worse Under New Law

Though the Obama administration yesterday tried to assure Americans that many of the problems associated with the health care enrollment website were fixed, a majority of voters continue to believe the health care system will get worse under the new law. Voter ratings for the current system also are slightly higher than they’ve been all year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the health care system is likely to get worse under the new national health care law. That’s up from 52% in October and is more similar to the level of pessimism measured from May through August. Just half as many (28%) expect the health care system to get better, while nine percent (9%) think it will remain about the same. (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 December 1, 2013 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.