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                            April 6, 201350% Say Doing Taxes Worse Than Going to the Dentist
Filing income taxes can be like pulling teeth, but it's even worse as far as many Americans are concerned.
Fifty percent (50%) of American Adults, in fact, think filling out their income tax paperwork is worse than taking a trip to the dentist’s office. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 34% disagree. Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided. (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 1,000 American Adults was conducted on March 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.

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                            April 6, 2013What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending April 6, 2013
Americans like a level playing field, but that’s not what they see these days.
As April 15 approaches, half of Americans think they are paying more than their fair share in taxes to Uncle Sam. 

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                            April 5, 2013Just 19% Think Stock Market Will Be Higher in a Year
Long-term economic confidence is at its lowest level yet, and Americans remain pessimistic about the housing and stock markets, too.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 19% of American Adults think the stock market will be higher a year from today, a finding which has been trending down from a high of 25% in December. Thirty percent (30%) believe it will be lower in a year's time, while 37% think it will be about the same. Another 13% 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 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 31-April 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.

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                            April 5, 201330% Think It’s Fair For Colleges To Give Admissions Preference to Donors' Children
Most Americans don’t think it’s fair for colleges to give special treatment to children of large donors, but they have mixed opinions when it comes to the children of those who once attended those schools.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 30% of Adults think it’s fair for colleges and universities to give preferences to children of large donors.  Sixty-one percent (61%) disagree. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leader board.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 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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                            April 5, 201344% See Conflict Between Economic Growth and Fairness
Most voters still believe policies that encourage economic growth are more important than those promoting economic fairness, but they’re slightly less convinced that there is a conflict between the two.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 71% of Likely U.S. Voters consider policies that encourage economic growth to be Very Important. That compares to 49% who say the same of policies that promote economic fairness. (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 April 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.
April 5, 2013Long Before Hillary Decides for 2016, Scandal Trolls Are Coming Back By Joe Conason
By all accounts, Hillary Rodham Clinton has not yet decided whether to seek the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. But the prospect of her candidacy, combined with her undeniable popularity, is agitating certain commentators so deeply that they simply cannot withhold their bile.  

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                            April 5, 2013To Fight Inequality, It's Time to End the College Admissions Scam By Scott Rasmussen
There's a strong desire among many Americans today to address a growing problem of income inequality. That desire helped President Obama raise taxes on upper-income Americans a few months ago. It's reflected in the fact that just 35 percent believe the U.S. economy is fair to the middle class, and only 41 percent believe it's fair to those willing to work hard. Still, it's not really the inequality that bothers people. After all, 65 percent believe that it's fair for those who create very successful companies to become very rich. The problem comes when some people earn big bucks simply because they can game the system in ways that aren't available to most Americans.

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                            April 4, 201348% See Government As More Concerned With Making Wall Street Firms Profitable
In the wake of economic crises in Cyprus and other European nations like Greece, Ireland and Italy, nearly half of American Adults think the federal government puts more focus on making Wall Street profitable than on making sure the United States financial system works well for all Americans.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults think the federal government is more concerned with making Wall Street firms profitable, while just 27% think they are more concerned with making sure the U.S. financial system works well for all Americans. One-in-four (25%) are not sure. (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 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 27-28, 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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                            April 4, 201323% Think Elite Colleges and Universities Accept Only the Most Qualified
A sizable number of Americans recognize that some of the nation’s top schools give special preference to children of previous graduates and major donors, but they don’t view that as a bigger problem than the emphasis on recruiting minority students.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 23% of American Adults believe schools like Harvard and Yale accept only the most qualified students. Forty percent (40%) say those Ivy League schools give special preferences to the children of prior students and donors. Thirty-seven percent (37%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leader board.
(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 April 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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                            April 4, 2013Just 36% Expect Stronger Economy in Five Years
Long-term economic confidence continues to fall and is now at its lowest level yet.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 36% of American Adults think the U.S. economy will be stronger five years from today. Just as many (36%) think it will be weaker. Eleven percent (11%) believe the nation’s economy will be about the same in five years, but another 17% are not sure.  (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 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 31-April 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.

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                            April 4, 2013Just 26% Support Immigration Plan Without Tougher Border Control
President Obama argues that more border security is not a necessary first step before legalizing the status of illegal immigrants already here. But most voters are willing to support immigration reform only if it includes both border security and a way for some illegal immigrants to remain in the country.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor an immigration plan that gives illegal immigrants legal status to stay in the United States provided the border is really secured to prevent future illegal immigration. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% are opposed to this plan. (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 April 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.
April 4, 2013Stop Asking, 'How Did You Like ...' By Froma Harrop
I'm shopping for a sweater online, and as so often happens, up pops a "tell us what you think" box. Or I'm on social media, and another social media company hijacks the screen, trying to sell me another product. Then there's:

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                            April 4, 201344% Think Government Effort to Confiscate All Guns Likely
A sizable number of Americans think the federal government is coming after their guns.
Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that the government will try to confiscate all privately owned guns over the next generation or so, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty percent (50%) feel gun confiscation is unlikely. This includes 20% who think the government is Very Likely to make this move and 23% who say it’s Not At All Likely. (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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 30-31, 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.
April 4, 2013Hard Targets? By Kyle Kondik
One needs little more than just fingers and toes to count the number of House members who represent districts won by the other party’s presidential candidate in 2012. As mentioned here previously, just 25 House members — nine Democrats and 16 Republicans — hold such “crossover” districts. Compare that to 2004, when there were 59 such seats, or 2008, when there were 83.

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                            April 3, 201335% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Thirty-five percent (35%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, March 31.
Voter optimism in the nation’s current course is up two points from the previous week and is in line with attitudes measured at the beginning of the year. Confidence in the nation's course peaked at a high of 43% the week before Election Day but has gradually come down since then.
(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 March 25-31, 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.

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                            April 3, 2013Just 9% Say U.S. Has World’s Best Tax System
Americans continue to believe strongly that the United States does not have the world's best tax system, perhaps in part because half still think they are paying more than their fair share to Uncle Sam.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just nine percent (9%) of American Adults believe the United States has the best tax system in the world. Sixty-four percent (64%) disagree, and another 27% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 
Play the Rasmussen Challenge . Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET.
(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 March 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.

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                            April 3, 201359% Say Another 2008 Financial Meltdown Likely
While confidence in the U.S. banking industry has rebounded slightly, most Americans fear the financial industry is heading towards another downturn like the one in 2008.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of American Adults think it’s at least somewhat likely that the United States will soon face another financial industry meltdown similar to the 2008 crisis.  Thirty percent (30%) think this is unlikely to occur.  These figures include 26% who feel another Great Recession is Very Likely, compared to four percent (4%) who feel 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 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 27-28, 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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                            April 3, 201355% See Major Cyberattack on U.S. As Act of War
Following the recent major computer attack on South Korea, Americans continue to worry about the safety of this nation’s computer systems, and most still believe a foreign attack on them should be viewed as an act of war.
Eight-four percent (84%) of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat concerned about the safety of America’s computer infrastructure from cyberattack, including 44% who are Very Concerned. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 14% are not very or Not At All concerned about such an attack. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 28-29, 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.
April 3, 2013Green Tyranny By John Stossel
Environmental activists and politicians would like you to think that we must love their regulations -- or hate trees and animals.

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                            April 3, 201341% Think Government Should Keep A List of All Gun Owners
Voters are closely divided over whether the federal government should keep a list of every gun owner in the country. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters think the federal government should maintain a database with the name and address of all gun owners in the United States. Slightly more (47%) disagree and oppose a government database of all gun owners. Twelve percent (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 March 30-31, 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.