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                            August 30, 201357% Favor Sales Tax Holidays
Eighteen states currently offer a “sales tax holiday” – a brief suspension of sales taxes – at this time of year to encourage back-to-school shopping, and most Americans like the idea.
Fifty-seven percent of American Adults favor these so-called sales tax holidays, while 20% are opposed, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-three percent (23%) are undecided. These findings show little change from two years ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 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.

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                            August 30, 201356% Say Their Family Displays Flag on Most National Holidays
Most Americans say their family regularly flies the U.S. flag on important holidays and don’t think anyone should be able to stop them unless it’s a public safety issue. Americans also strongly believe school children should be required to honor the flag every morning.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of American Adults say they or a member of their family regularly displays the American flag on most national holidays, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty percent (40%) say their family does not display the flag on these days. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 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.

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                            August 30, 201342% Favor Candidate Who Opposes All Tax Increases
Voters are still in agreement that tax cuts and government spending decreases help the economy, and support for a candidate who would oppose all tax increases is at its highest level in over a year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who promised to oppose all tax increases over one who would only raise taxes on the rich. Forty-one percent (41%) would vote for the one who would only raise taxes on the wealthy. Seventeen percent (17%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 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.
August 30, 2013Panhandling Is Not Harmless By Froma Harrop
Indianapolis offers the full urban deal: great architecture, hot restaurants, famous museums and a walkable downtown. But it also has had one of the worst panhandler problems I've seen. At almost every street corner, it seemed, someone was squeezing you for money.

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                            August 30, 201359% Think U.S. Still Lacks Equal Opportunity
Martin Luther King, Jr. preached about a day when men and women of all races would have equal opportunity in America. Most voters still don’t think that day has come, but they’re closely divided over the role the federal government has played in the process. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 27% of Likely U.S. Voters think America has reached a day of equal opportunity for all. Fifty-nine percent (59%) disagree and say the country has not yet achieved equal opportunity. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here).
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 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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                            August 29, 201341% Favor School Uniform Requirement
An increasing number of public schools are requiring their students to wear uniforms, and opposition to such a requirement has fallen. 
Forty-one percent (41%) of American Adults think students should be required to wear uniforms to school, generally unchanged in surveys since August 2008. Forty-seven percent (47%) oppose a school uniform requirement, but that's down from 50% last year and 53% in 2011. Twelve percent (12%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 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.

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                            August 29, 201359% of Moviegoers Say Storyline Matters Most
Though less than half of Americans go to the movies at least occasionally, those that do go for the storytelling above all else.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 52% of Adults rarely or never go to the movies. Thirty-three percent (33%) go to the movies occasionally, while 14% go at least once a month. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 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. 

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                            August 29, 201310% Think Race Relations Better Since Obama Elected
Voters think America’s a better place since Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech 50 years ago this week, but nearly nine-out-of-10 say race relations have gotten worse or remained about the same since the election of the nation’s first black president.
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Likely U.S. Voters think race relations in this country are better today than they were 50 years ago. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 13% think those relations are worse today, while just as many (15%) say race relations are about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here). 
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 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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                            August 29, 201342% Give Obama Good, Excellent Ratings on National Security
As the United States reportedly prepares for a military strike against the Syrian government, voters' opinions of President Obama’s handling of national security is up slightly from recent lows.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the president is doing a good or excellent job on national security. That's up five points from 37% last week, the lowest level of support for the president’s handling of national security issues in nearly two-and-a-half years.  Thirty-six percent (36%) now rate Obama poorly on national security issues. (To see survey question wording, click here). 
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 25-26, 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. 
August 29, 2013Leaderboard
Rasmussen Challenge Leaderboard

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                            August 28, 201329% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
For the third straight week, 29% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey for the week ending August 25.
Sixty-four percent (64%) of voters now think the country is heading down the wrong track, up a point from the previous week.  From January 2009 until October 2012, belief that the country was on the wrong track ranged from 55% to 80%, but it tracked in the low 50s from just before Election Day until early December.
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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on August 19-25, 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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                            August 28, 201340% Say Economy Forced Them To Cut Back Vacation Spending
Most Americans did not take a summer vacation this year, but fewer of those who did are citing the economy as a reason they cut back on spending. 
Thirty-six percent (36%) of American Adults say they took a summer vacation this year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey.  Sixty-three percent (63%) did not.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 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.

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                            August 28, 201353% Think School Shouldn’t Open Until After Labor Day
While many schools are already back in session, most adults still think the school year shouldn’t start until after Labor Day.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of American Adults believe the school year should begin in August, the way it has in recent years in many jurisdictions. But 53% disagree and say it shouldn’t start until after Labor Day. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 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.
August 28, 2013Trains to Nowhere By John Stossel
When Democrats and Republicans agree, I get nervous. It often means that they agree to grab my wallet.
August 28, 2013We All Need Moderate Republicans By Froma Harrop
Moderate Republicans are, were, good things. I use the past tense "were" because as they became rarities, the centrists' chief function was preserving majorities in Congress for their radicalized party.    

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                            August 28, 201345% of GOP Voters Think It's Very Important Party Leaders Work With Tea Party
Though most voters in general believe the Tea Party has less influence these days, most Republicans say it’s important for the congressional GOP to work with the grass roots movement. Fifty-four percent (54%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the Tea Party has become less influential over the past year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-five percent (25%) say the movement has become more influential, while nearly as many (22%) are undecided.  These findings are similar to those found in January. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 25-26, 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.

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                            August 27, 201351% Think Obama's Policies Too Hostile To Small Businesses
Voters have consistently felt that President Obama is friendlier toward big businesses than small businesses, and they now believe so more than ever.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters think the president's policies toward small businesses are too hostile. This is the first time the number who says he is too hostile toward small businesses has topped 50%.  Just three percent (3%) think Obama's policies are too friendly toward small businesses. Thirty-five percent (35%) think they are about right, a new low, while 12% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 23-24, 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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                            August 27, 201359% Think Violent Movies Lead to More Violence in Society
Americans still believe the movie industry has done more harm than good to society, particularly when it comes to violence.
Fifty percent (50%) of American Adults believe that, generally speaking, movies and the movie industry have a negative impact on American society. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 21% believe the movie industry has a positive impact on society, while 15% say it has no impact at all. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 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.
 
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                            August 27, 201342% of Republicans Like Shutdown Strategy to Stop Funding of Health Care Law
Republicans tend to think a GOP congressional threat to shut down the federal government to halt funding for President Obama’s health care law will be good for their party, but other voters disagree. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely Republican Voters think that threatening to vote against a government funding bill unless it cuts off funds for the health care law will help the GOP. Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree and believe it will hurt their party. Fourteen percent (14%) say it will have no impact, and 16% aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Special Offer: Rasmussen Reader is now just $24.95 for a subscription through December 31, 2014. Sign up today!
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 25-26, 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.
August 27, 2013Obama Could Learn From FDR on How to Get Things Done By Michael Barone
Evidence of the astonishing incompetence of the Obama administration continues to roll in.