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October 9, 2013

17% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

With no end in sight to the partial government shutdown, the number of voters who believe the country is heading in the right direction has fallen 11 points over the past week to its lowest level in nearly two years.

Just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending October 6. That's down from 28%the week before and the lowest finding since early December 2011.

(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 September 30-October 6, 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.

October 9, 2013

NJ Governor: Christie (R) 55%, Buono (D) 34%

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continues to lead Democratic challenger Barbara Buono by over 20 points in his bid for reelection.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey conducted before last night’s gubernatorial debate shows Christie with 55% support from Likely New Jersey Voters to Buono’s 34%.  Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 state survey of 1,000 Likely Voters in New Jersey was conducted October 7, 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.

October 9, 2013

62% Think U.S. Likely To Default on Debt

Americans are more fearful of another economic meltdown these days, and belief that the U.S. government will default on its debt has jumped from six months ago.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of American adults now think it is at least somewhat likely that the United States soon will face another financial industry meltdown similar to the 2008 crisis, with 35% who say it is Very Likely. In April, 59% felt another meltdown is likely in the near future, including 26% who said it is Very Likely.

Twenty-two percent (22%) believe another meltdown is unlikely anytime soon, but that includes only two percent (2%) who say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 October 7-8, 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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October 9, 2013

Tyler Cowen's Future Shock: No More Average People By Michael Barone

"This book is far from all good news." So writes Tyler Cowen at the beginning of his latest book, "Average is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of The Great Stagnation."
Cowen is an economist at George Mason University who is generally classified as libertarian and whose interests range far afield. His most recent books include "The Great Stagnation" and "An Economist Gets Lunch" (his advice: skip fancy downtown places, eat at restaurants attached to Pakistani-owned motels).

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October 9, 2013

The Grumpy Genius of Marcella Hazan By Froma Harrop

In an era of finicky foodies and celebrity chefs, Marcella Hazan never troubled herself with the rough-and-tumble of branding. Not sexy like Nigella Lawson, not colorful like Emeril Lagasse, not adorable like Rachael Ray -- not even eccentric like Julia Child -- Hazan nailed Italian cooking in a uniquely grumpy way.

October 9, 2013

Fewer Report Paying More for Drugs, Delaying Medical Visits to Save Money

Fewer Americans say they are paying more for drugs these days. The number who say they’ve postponed a medical procedure due to cost is also down from past years. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 29% of American Adults are paying more for prescription drugs than they were six months ago, but that's down from 37% in November 2011 and 36% in March 2010. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 October 3-4, 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.

October 8, 2013

43% Favor Waiting Period Before Abortion, 43% Oppose

Voters for the first time are evenly divided over whether there should be a waiting period before a woman can get an abortion, but the importance of abortion as a voting issue has fallen to its lowest level in a year-and-a-half.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters continue to favor a waiting period before an abortion, but that's down from 47% in July and an all-time high of 56% in February, 2011. Forty-three percent (43%) now also oppose a waiting period requirement, a six-point jump from July and a new high. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 October 6-7, 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.

October 8, 2013

NJ Senate: Booker (D) 53%, Lonegan (R) 41%

The New Jersey special election for U.S. Senate is just over a week away, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker still holds a double-digit lead over Republican Steve Lonegan.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely New Jersey Voters shows Booker with 53% of the vote to Lonegan’s 41%. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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(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 state survey of 1,000 Likely Voters in New Jersey was conducted October 7, 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.

October 8, 2013

82% of Democrats Say End Shutdown; 71% of GOP Say Keep It Going

Just over half of voters think the partial government shutdown will have a negative impact on them personally and want Congress to end the shutdown by authorizing spending for the health care law at existing levels. But most Republicans still would rather continue the shutdown until spending for the law is cut.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 13% of Likely U.S. Voters say the shutdown has had a major impact on their personal lives so far. Another 38% say they have felt a minor impact from the shutdown. Forty-seven percent (47%) say it has had no impact at all on them. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 October 6-7, 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.

October 8, 2013

48% Say Private Sector Best Way to Keep Health Costs Down, 35% Say Government

As lawmakers in Washington, D.C. continue to fight over the president’s health care law, half of Americans say they are paying more for health care than they were last year, but just as many think the private sector, not the federal government, is the way to keep those costs down.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults say they are paying more for health care now than they were a year ago. Forty-two percent (42%) are not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 October 3-4, 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.

October 7, 2013

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 40%, Republicans 40%

As the federal government shutdown continues without an end in sight, Democrats have lost their lead of the last two weeks and are again running even with Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, October 6, shows 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 another 40% would choose the Republican instead.

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(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 September 30-October 6, 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.

October 7, 2013

52% Plan on Getting Flu Shot This Year

Flu season is here again, and just over half of Americans plan on taking preventative measures to avoid getting sick.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of American Adults say they will get a flu shot this year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-four percent (44%) don’t plan on getting one. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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(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 Adults was conducted on October 5-6, 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.

October 7, 2013

68% Oppose Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

California last week became the latest – and biggest – state to authorize driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. But most voters still strongly oppose letting illegal immigrants drive legally in their state.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Likely U.S. Voters think illegal immigrants should not be eligible for driver’s licenses in their state.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% favor allowing illegal immigrants to get licenses in their home state. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

 

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 4-5, 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.

October 7, 2013

45% View Health Care Law Favorably, 49% Unfavorably

Unfavorable reviews of the new national health care law have fallen below 50% for the first time in several months, but voters more strongly than ever support individual choice when it comes to determining how much health insurance someone needs to buy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the health care law, while 49% view it unfavorably. This includes 23% with a Very Favorable opinion and 38% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 October 4-5, 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.

October 6, 2013

9% Have Considered Quitting Their U.S. Citizenship

Few Americans have ever thought about giving up their U.S. citizenship, but nearly half think U.S. citizens should be able to be citizens of more than one country.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only nine percent (9%) of U.S. citizens have considered giving up their American citizenship. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 Adults was conducted on September 29-30, 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.

October 5, 2013

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending October 4, 2013

The longer the federal government remains partially shut down, the more the partisan blame game escalates. But voters remain conflicted, just as they are about the health care law at the heart of the dispute.

October 4, 2013

66% of Workers Consider Themselves Middle Class

Many working Americans expect to earn more money a year from now, and most continue to consider themselves middle class.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Working Americans believe their earnings will be higher a year from today, up from 39% in August and the highest level of optimism since the beginning of the year. Thirteen percent (13%) expect to earn less in a year's time, while 39% believe their earnings will be about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Special offer: A Rasmussen Reader subscription that lasts through December 31, 2014 is now just $24.95. Sign up today!

 (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 678 Employed Adults was conducted on October 1-2, 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.

October 4, 2013

70% Give Congress Poor Rating

It’s hard to believe it could get any worse, but negative reviews for Congress are at their highest level in nearly two years.

Nine percent (9%) of Likely Voters rate the way Congress is doing its job as good or excellent, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Seventy percent (70%) of voters say Congress is doing a poor job. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Special offer: A Rasmussen Reader subscription that lasts through December 31, 2014 is now just $24.95. Sign up today!

(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 October 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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October 4, 2013

Drunk and Disorderly: How Republican Extremists Are Shredding Every Principle the GOP Claims to Uphold By Joe Conason

By Washington standards, the current government shutdown is an everyday disaster -- of a kind we are gradually learning to expect whenever the Republican Party controls Congress. The impending breach of the nation's credit, however, when those same Republicans refuse to raise the debt limit to cover the funds they have spent, threatens a singular catastrophe: unpredictable, global, yet entirely avoidable.

October 4, 2013

50% Consider GOP Congressional Agenda Extreme; 46% Say Same of Democrats

As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth day, voters are slightly more likely to identify with President Obama and congressional Democrats. But a surprising problem for congressional Republicans is that nearly one-out-of-four still thinks they are too liberal.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 33% of Likely U.S. Voters view President Obama in political terms as about the same as they are. Thirty-one percent (31%) say the same of the average Democrat in Congress, but only 23% feel that way about the average congressional Republican. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

Special offer: A Rasmussen Reader subscription that lasts through December 31, 2014 is now just $24.95. Sign up today!

(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 October 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.