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                            August 17, 2013What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending August 16, 2013
President Obama may be on vacation this week, but he and his administration still made plenty of news.
Just before the president left for vacation, he announced in a press conference tighter restrictions on the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program.  But most voters still don’t trust the government to protect their constitutional rights, and very few expect the program to cut back on monitoring the phone calls of innocent Americans.

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                            August 16, 201381% Think Americans Pay Too Much Attention to Celebrity News
Which is more important: the riots in the Middle East or the latest celebrity scandal? Most Americans fear that, for many, it’s the latter.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of American Adults think their fellow Americans pay too much attention to celebrity news and not enough attention to news that has real impact on their lives. This is down slightly from 86% in March 2011 and 87% in July 2010. Just 10% think Americans don’t pay too much attention to celebrity news. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 8-9, 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 16, 201344% Support Legalizing Marijuana, 42% Do Not
Americans are still divided on whether or not to legalize marijuana, but most think it should be up to the states to decide, not the federal government.
Forty-four percent (44%) of American Adults say marijuana should be legalized, but nearly as many (42%) say no, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure whether it should be legal. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on August 12-13, 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 16, 201352% Recognize U.S. Spends More on Defense Than Any Other Nation
More voters than ever believe that the United States is not spending enough on the military and national security, but they are also less aware of how much the country actually spends in this area.
Thirty-one percent (31%) of Likely Voters believe the United States does not spend enough on the military and national security, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just as many (30%) say the United States spends too much in this area, while another 31% say the amount spent is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 13-14, 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 16, 2013New Low: 39% Think U.S. Elections Are Fair
Belief that U.S. elections are fair continues to fall and has now reached its lowest level in nine years of surveys.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now believe American elections are fair to voters. That’s down only one point from May, but prior to that survey, the finding has run in the high 40s and low 50s in surveys since September 2004. Forty-four percent (44%) say U.S. elections are not fair, while 17% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 11-12, 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 15, 201347% Think a Randomly Selected Group Could Do a Better Job Than Congress
More voters than ever now believe a group of people randomly selected from the phone book could do a better job addressing the nation’s problems than the current Congress. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters think such a randomly selected group could do a better job than Congress, up two points from May and matching the highest finding in regular surveying for nearly five years. One-in-three (33%) disagree and do not think a randomly selected group could do a better job. Twenty percent (20%) 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 11-12, 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 15, 201374% Oppose Federal Plan to Make Neighborhoods More Diverse
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to make the nation’s neighborhoods more diverse, but Americans strongly oppose this idea. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 10% of American Adults think the federal government should do more to make sure most, if not all, neighborhoods in the United States are more racially and ethnically diverse.  Seventy-four percent (74%) disagree, while 16% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.) 
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 10-11, 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 15, 201340% Agree with Government Challenge of US Airways-American Merger
Voters are closely divided over the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to contest the merger of US Airways and American Airlines, but nearly half predict airline fares will go up if the merger goes through. Forty percent (40%) of Likely U.S. Voters agree with the Justice Department’s decision to challenge the merger, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-two percent (32%) disagree with that challenge, but a sizable 28% are not sure about it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 13-14, 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 15, 2013What Really Makes Chelsea Clinton Run (but not for Public Office) By Joe Conason
To discover what Chelsea Clinton is doing with her life -- and why -- shouldn't pose much of a challenge to any reasonably industrious journalist. In recent months, after all, she has stepped into the spotlight to advance the causes that excite her. Yet the political press still seems far more inclined to ruminate over her supposed ambitions rather than report her real concerns.

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                            August 15, 201355% Believe There Are Too Many Americans In Prison
This week U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a plan to scale back the number of strict minimum prison sentences for non-violent low-level drug offenders, and just over half of Americans are on board with this proposal. 
Fifty-one percent (51%) of American Adults favor a plan that would reduce the number of non-violent offenders sent to prison, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-five percent (25%) oppose such a plan, while just as many (24%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 12-13, 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 14, 201329% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-nine percent (29%) 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, August 11.
That’s up two points from the week before, and up three from the previous two weeks' finding of 26%, which marked the lowest level of confidence since mid-January 2012. Confidence in the country's direction rose steadily last fall, peaking at a high of 43% the week just before Election Day. It's been gradually decreasing ever since.
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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on August 5-11, 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 14, 2013Democrats Tend to Identify More with Their Congress Members Than GOP Voters Do
Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Republican voters think the average Republican in Congress shares their views, while 45% of Democrats believe the average congressional Democrat is about the same as they are. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% of Likely GOP Voters think the average congressional Republican is more conservative than the average Republican voter. Thirty percent (30%) think the average Republican in Congress is more liberal than the average GOP voter. 
Twenty-three percent (23%) of Likely Democratic Voters think the average congressional Democrat is more conservative than the average voter in their party, while 22% say that member of Congress is more liberal. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 11-12, 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 14, 201317% of GOP Voters Think Republicans in Congress Should Put Working with Obama First
Most Republican voters continue to think their representatives in Congress are not listening to them and feel overwhelmingly that they should stand up for what the GOP believes in. Most Democrats like the job their congressional representatives are doing. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely Republican Voters think Republicans in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters from throughout the nation over the last several years. Just 24% think their legislators have done a good job of representing Republican values. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 11-12, 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 14, 2013Battle of the Sexes By John Stossel
Women make only 77 cents per each dollar made by males. Outrageous! Sex discrimination!

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                            August 14, 2013Obama's National Security Positives Fall to A Two-Year Low
Positive ratings for President Obama's handling of national security are at their lowest level in over two years of weekly tracking.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the president’s handling of national security issues as good or excellent.  A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that just as many (38%) give him a poor rating in this area.  (To see survey question wording, click here).
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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 11-12, 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 13, 201315% Say Professional Athletes Are Good Role Models for Kids
Some professional athletes just can’t seem to stay out of trouble, and most Americans are noticing.
Just 15% of American Adults believe professional athletes are good role models for children, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Sixty-one percent (61%) say athletes are not good role models, while another 24% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 8-9, 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 13, 201353% See Conflict Between Economic Growth and Fairness
Most voters still believe policies that encourage economic growth are more important than those promoting economic fairness, and they’re more likely now to think there’s a conflict between the two. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds 93% of Likely U.S. Voters say, in thinking about the economy, policies that encourage economic growth are at least somewhat important.  That includes 68% who say they are Very Important.
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 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.
August 13, 2013Crime Bankrupts Detroit; Public Unions Mug Two California Cities By Michael Barone
In the Industrial Midwest, the city government of Detroit went into bankruptcy in July. Out in California, the city governments of Stockton and San Bernardino entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2012.    

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                            August 13, 201356% Think Racism Not Chief Reason for Lack of Neighborhood Diversity
Americans are closely divided on the importance of neighborhoods in this country being racially or ethnically diverse, but most believe racism is not the chief reason for a lack of diversity.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of American Adults believe it is at least somewhat important for most neighborhoods in America to be racially or ethnically diverse. Forty-six percent (46%) say it’s not important. This includes 16% for whom neighborhood diversity is Very Important and 16% who say it’s Not At All Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 10-11, 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 13, 2013Lawsuits and Defensive Medicine: The Reality By Froma Harrop
Guy limps off the tennis court with an obvious sprained ankle. The doctor tells him to go home, elevate the leg and put some ice where it hurts.