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                            March 11, 2014Americans Still Think Government Workers Have It Better
Most Americans still believe private sector workers work harder than government employees but have less job security. One-out-of-two think government workers make more money, too.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just six percent (6%) of American Adults think government employees work harder than those in the private sector, down four points from January and the lowest finding since last June. Consistent with regular surveying since 2010 are the 64% who think private sector employees work harder. Thirty percent (30%) are not sure. (To see survey questions, 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 March 3-4, 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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                            March 10, 2014Generic Congressional  Ballot: Democrats 39%, Republicans 39%
For the first time in 2014, Republicans and Democrats are running even on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, March 9, finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead. This is the first time the two parties have been tied since the end of 2013. It is second week in a row that both parties have earned less than 40% support, suggesting there is still a high level of voter unhappiness with the two of them.
(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 March 3-March 9, 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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                            March 10, 2014Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 38%, Republicans 39%
Republicans have taken a one-point lead on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, March 16, finds that 39% 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 first time since February 4 that the Republicans have held the lead. It is also the third week in a row that both parties have earned less than 40% support, suggesting there is still a high level of voter unhappiness with the two of them.
(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 March 10-March 16, 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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                            March 10, 2014Colorado Senate: Udall (D) 42%, Gardner (R) 41%
The first Rasmussen Reports look at Colorado’s likely 2014 U.S. Senate race finds that it's a dead heat.
A statewide telephone survey of Likely Colorado Voters shows incumbent Democrat Mark Udall with 42% of the vote, while his leading Republican challenger Cory Gardner earns 41%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and 13% 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 500 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on March 5-6, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 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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                            March 10, 201450% Think Obama Has Raised Spending Too Much
President Obama’s proposed new $3.9 trillion federal budget includes $55 billion in new spending for fiscal 2015, but one-out-of-two voters think the Obama administration has already raised spending too much.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just over half (52%) of Likely U.S. Voters correctly recognize that government spending will keep going up under the president’s new budget plan. Thirteen percent (13%) think Obama’s new budget proposal will reduce spending, while 24% believe it will keep spending about the same. 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 March 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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                            March 10, 201458% Expect Health Care Costs to Go Up Under Obamacare
Obamacare remains unpopular with voters who still expect it to drive up costs and hurt the quality of health care.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 40% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the new national health care law, while 56% view it unfavorably. This includes 15% with a Very Favorable opinion and nearly three times as many (43%) 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 March 8-9, 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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                            March 9, 201437% Say More Government Hiring Would Be Good For Economy
Most Americans continue to oppose extended government help for the long-term unemployed, although fewer see an increase in government hiring as a bad thing for the U.S. economy.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% of American Adults believe the government should extend unemployment benefits indefinitely for those who can’t find work for an extended period of time. Just as many (11%) think the government should hire those who can’t find work for an extended period. But a third (34%) prefer the short-term solution of paying for their retraining, while another third (34%) think the government should do nothing at all for the long-term unemployed. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a&nbsp;free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).&nbsp;Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;or&nbsp;Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 3-4, 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&nbsp;Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See&nbsp;methodology.

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                            March 8, 2014What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls: Week of March 8
Jobs, jobs, jobs. Americans rank job creation second in importance only to the economy, but last month’s slight improvement in the jobs picture can’t mask some major underlying concerns.

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                            March 7, 2014Just 33% See the Purpose of Daylight Saving Time
Americans will be springing forward an hour this weekend for Daylight Saving Time (DST), but fewer think it's worth the effort or even an effective way to save energy.
Only 33% of American Adults think DST is worth the hassle, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That is down from 37% last year at this time and 45% in 2012. Forty-eight percent (48%) do not think the clock changing ritual is worth it, but 19% 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 national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 5-6, 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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                            March 7, 201446% Know Someone Who Has Given Up Looking for A Job
Americans are less optimistic about the job market than they were at the start of the year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 73% of American Adults know someone who is out of work and looking for a job. While that’s up just one point from two months ago, it’s the highest level measured since February of last year. (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 and Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 3-4, 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. 
March 7, 2014Lying Again? Scholars Detect Deception in Ryan's Poverty Report by Joe Conason
For the sake of America's poor, a sincere conservative effort to improve the programs that serve them is very desirable -- especially so long as Republicans control the House of Representatives, where they habitually yearn to cut or defund those same programs. For months, Washington has eagerly awaited the latest version of "compassionate conservatism," promised by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his publicists.
Appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Ryan denounced government programs that serve the poor, including food stamps and free school lunch: "What the left is offering people is a full stomach and an empty soul. The American people want more than that."
To find out more about Joe Conason, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM

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                            March 7, 201436% Favor Ban on Plastic Shopping Bags in Their State
Most Americans say they use plastic shopping bags, and they aren't overly keen about efforts to ban or tax their use of those bags.
States including Hawaii, California and Massachusetts have begun banning the use of plastic bags over environmental concerns, and the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of American Adults favor such a ban in their state. But 45% are opposed to a ban on disposable plastic bags where they live. Nineteen percent (19%) 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 national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 5-6, 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.
March 7, 2014Obama's Mistaken Belief That Others See the World as He Sees It By Michael Barone
Solipsism. It's a fancy word that means that the self is the only existing reality and that the external world, including other people, are representations of one's own self and can have no independent existence. A person who follows this philosophy may believe that others see the world as he does and will behave as he would.   

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                            March 7, 2014New High: 56% View Boehner Unfavorably
John Boehner now earns the worst voter reviews in the three years he’s been speaker of the House.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Boehner, while 56% view him unfavorably. This includes five percent (5%) with a Very Favorable view of the Ohio Republican and 28% 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 4-5, 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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                            March 7, 2014New High: 56% View Boehner Unfavorably
John Boehner now earns the worst voter reviews in the three years he’s been speaker of the House.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Boehner, while 56% view him unfavorably. This includes five percent (5%) with a Very Favorable view of the Ohio Republican and 28% 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 4-5, 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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                            March 6, 2014Americans Rank Cancer As Nation's Worst Disease
Cancer ranks number one when Americans are asked what's the worst disease they face, while nearly half believe the federal government doesn't spend enough on medical research in general.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Adults consider cancer the worst disease facing Americans today. Heart disease is a distant second, rated worst by 22%, followed by 13% who say diabetes. Alzheimer's disease is rated the worst by nine percent (9%), while two percent (2%) think AIDS is the worst. One percent (1%) list strokes, and four percent (4%) say it's some other unspecified disease. (For 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 American Adults was conducted on March 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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                            March 6, 2014Only 26% Think U.S. Spends Too Much on Defense
While the Obama administration is proposing major cuts in the national defense budget, fewer voters feel the United States overspends on defense, but awareness that this country spends more in this area than any other country has fallen to a record low.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States spends too much on the military and national security. That's down three points from November and the lowest finding since October 2012. Thirty-four percent (34%) don’t think this country spends enough on defense, down slightly from the previous survey but several points higher than found in most regular surveys for the last three-and-a-half years. Just as many (32%) believe the level of spending now 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 March 2-3, 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.
March 6, 20142016? Hillary Clinton 47%, Jeb Bush 33%
The latest round of speculation about the 2016 presidential race stars former Florida Governor Jeb Bush whose Republican nomination could potentially lead to a matchup between two powerhouse political families. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton holds a double-digit lead over Bush in a hypothetical matchup, but half of voters are less likely to vote for Bush because of his family’s history in the White House.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that if the 2016 presidential election were held today, 47% of Likely U.S. Voters would choose Clinton, while 33% would opt for Bush. Fourteen percent (14%) prefer some other candidate, while six percent (6%) 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 March 4-5, 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.
March 6, 2014Who Belongs Downtown? By Froma Harrop
Many American cities now enjoy an amazing reversal of fortune. Once hollowed-out shells mainly for those too poor to move -- or those so rich they didn't have to deal with the poor -- cities are again filling up with educated and aspiring young people.

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                            March 6, 201455% in Texas Like Job Rick Perry Is Doing As Governor
Rick Perry is Texas’ longest-serving governor, and as far as most voters in the state are concerned, he’s still doing a pretty good job.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely Texas Voters at least somewhat approve of the job Perry is doing, with 21% who Strongly Approve. Forty-three percent (43%) disapprove of the Republican governor’s job performance, including 29% who Strongly Disapprove. (To see 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 500 Likely Voters in Texas was conducted on March 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.