What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls -- For the Week Ending June 29, 2013
With the nation’s 237th birthday just days away, it’s good to remind ourselves that for most Americans, there’s still no place like home.
Public Content
Most Recent Releases
June 29, 2013
June 28, 2013
70% Say Americans Have More Freedom Than People in Other Countries
Despite the national debate over government surveillance and privacy, Americans still believe they have more freedom than people in other countries. Seventy percent (70%) of Adults nationwide believe that Americans have more freedom than people in other countries, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey. Just 12% believe Americans have less freedom, while 13% say the level of freedom is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in the Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 21-22, 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.
June 28, 2013
24% Say Their Home is Worth Less Than When They Bought It
Most homeowners still say their home is worth more than when they bought it, but one-in-four now say it’s worth less.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of U.S. Homeowners say that, compared to when they bought it, their home is now worth more. That’s down from 58% in April which tied the highest level measured since October 2011. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 24% say their home is now worth less than when they bought it, up from 20% in April and the highest since October. Eighteen percent (18%) say their home is worth about the same as when they bought it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard .
(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 708 Homeowners nationwide was conducted on June 25-26, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
June 28, 2013
58% Expect Obama’s New EPA Regulations to Increase Energy Costs
Nearly half of U.S. voters like the idea of putting tighter environmental controls on new and existing power plants, but just as many think President Obama’s proposed regulations to do that will hurt the economy. Most expect those regulations to drive up energy costs.
Forty-eight percent (48%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor new environmental regulations to place stricter limits on carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-four percent (34%) oppose these new regulations. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 26-27, 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.
June 28, 2013
Supreme Court Offers Mixed Verdict to Conservatives and Liberals By Michael Barone
This has been a big week for the Supreme Court. In four separate cases, it applied stricter scrutiny to racial quotas and preferences in higher education, overturned part of the Voting Rights Act, ruled unconstitutional the Defense of Marriage Act and dismissed an appeal of a case overturning California voters' ban on same-sex marriage.
June 28, 2013
About Those Who Abuse Their Health By Froma Harrop
In addition to being a fine actor, James Gandolfini was smart and rich. He could afford the best medical care the West has to offer and understand the stakes of being so overweight and stressed. Yet he let his weight balloon in an orgy of careless eating and drinking. Did he think himself invincible or assume that he had time to deal with health issues later, his age being only 51? Surely a doctor somewhere read him the riot act, so why didn't he make health a priority?
June 28, 2013
Public Opinion Leads, Politicians Follow By Scott Rasmussen
On Dec. 1, 1955, a churchgoing woman of character refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala. Many credit Rosa Parks' courageous action that day with launching the civil rights movement. While I have great respect for what Ms. Parks did that day, however, she did not start the civil rights movement. The movement began long before, and public opinion led the way.
June 27, 2013
40% Believe U.S. Is Mankind’s Last Best Hope, 36% Disagree
Most Americans are still proud of their country and its history, but they aren’t convinced that the nation still lives up to the greatness former President Reagan famously declared.
Just 40% of American Adults now view the United States as "the last best hope of mankind," according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-six percent (36%) don’t view America this way, while 24% 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 Adults was conducted on June 21-22, 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.
June 27, 2013
37% Expect Their Home To Be Worth More A Year From Now
The number of homeowners who say their home is worth more than what they still owe is down this month, but confidence in the short-term housing market remains higher than it has been in several years.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 50% of U.S. homeowners now say their home is worth more than they still owe on their mortgage. That’s down 10 points from 60% in May which was the highest finding so far this year and tied a high reached only once before in four years of regular surveying. Thirty-three percent (33%) still say they owe more than their home is worth, generally consistent with regular surveying since April 2009. (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 708 Homeowners nationwide was conducted on June 25-26, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
June 27, 2013
43% Think NSA Domestic Spying Put National Security Ahead of Individual Rights
President Obama, former Vice President Dick Cheney and others have defended the National Security Agency’s surveillance of Americans’ phone and e-mail communications as necessary for national security. But voters think they should have been more concerned about individual rights.
Some say there is a natural tension between national security and protecting individual rights, but a plurality (43%) of Likely U.S. Voters believes government officials have worried too much about national security at the expense of those rights in the NSA surveillance program. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% feel officials have worried too much about protecting individual rights. Thirty percent (30%) think the balance is about right. (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, 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.
June 27, 2013
Only 37% Think Immigration Plan Likely to Become Law This Year
The U.S. Senate is expected as early as today to pass an immigration reform plan that opens the way to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, but few voters think the plan ultimately will become a reality. Just 37% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely the immigration plan will pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives and be signed by President Obama this year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% say it’s unlikely the plan will become law. This includes 12% who say it’s Very Likely to pass and 15% who view it as Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 20-21, 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.
June 27, 2013
26% of Obama Supporters View Tea Party as Nation’s Top Terror Threat
Half of all voters consider radical Muslims the bigger terrorist threat facing the nation, but supporters of President Obama consider the Tea Party to be as big a danger. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters consider radical Muslims to be the bigger threat to the United States today. Thirteen percent (13%) view the Tea Party that way, and another 13% consider other political and religious extremists to be the larger danger. Six percent (6%) point to local militia groups. Two percent (2%) see the Occupy Wall Street movement as the bigger terrorist threat. (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 22-23, 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.
June 26, 2013
30% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction
Thirty percent (30%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, June 23.
That’s up a point from the previous week, is virtually unchanged from a year ago and is consistent with voter attitudes for more than three months now. Confidence in the country's direction jumped into the low 40s last November and remained in the mid- to high 30s through February.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on June 17-23, 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.
June 26, 2013
Economy, Health Care Continue to Lead List of Important Issues
The economy and health care again top the list of 15 voting issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports, while the environment and the war in Afghanistan are among the issues voters regard as least important.
New national telephone surveying finds that 77% of Likely U.S. Voters consider the economy Very Important in terms of how they will vote in the next congressional election. (To see survey question wording,click here.)
The surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on June 16-17, 20-21 & 24-25, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error for each survey 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.
June 26, 2013
72% Think NSA May Have Monitored Congress, Military Leaders, Judges
Most voters think the National Security Agency is likely to have violated one of the country’s most cherished constitutional standards – the checks and balances between the three branches of government – by spying on the private communications of Congress and judges.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that the NSA has monitored the private communications of Congress, military leaders and judges. That includes 45% who believe it is Very Likely.
Just 14% say it’s not likely that the Executive branch of the government monitored the private communications of the Legislative and Judicial branches. Another 14% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Win an iPad : Take the Rasmussen Challenge.
(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, 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.
June 26, 2013
Dems Struggle With Scandals; GOP Can't Agree on Policy By Michael Barone
The two political parties are in disarray. The Democrats are disheartened. The Republicans are disunited.
June 26, 2013
The IRS Scandal Is Just Nature Taking Its Course By Mark Meckler
The instinct for survival is coded into the DNA of every living creature, and the Internal Revenue Service is made up of thousands of human beings with that instinct. As a single department of the government leviathan, the IRS is a good example, too, of the collective survival instinct of the federal government.
June 26, 2013
40% Want Border States to Determine When Border is Secure
One of the sticking points in the ongoing congressional debate over immigration reform is who will determine if the border with Mexico is actually secure enough to prevent future illegal immigration.
Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Likely U.S. voters favor letting the federal Department of Homeland Security make that call. That’s the approach currently in the Senate immigration reform legislation.
Win an iPad : Take the Rasmussen Challenge.
(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 20-21, 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.
June 26, 2013
Puritanical Government By John Stossel
People say America is a free country. But what if you want to drink, have a cigarette or make a bet? Government often says "no" to protect us from ourselves.
June 25, 2013
51% Now Consider Immigration Very Important to Their Next Vote
For the first time in nearly two years, over half of voters say the immigration issue is Very Important in terms of how they will vote in the next congressional election. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters now rate immigration that highly, up from 45% in April. Another 32% rate the issue as somewhat important. Just 15% say immigration is not very or Not At All Important to how they will vote in the congressional midterm elections next year. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Win an iPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge.
(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 16-17, 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.
