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May 6, 2013

10% Are Willing To Get Company Tattoo For 15% Raise

A New York real estate firm has offered a 15% raise to any of its 800 employees who tattoo the company’s logo on their bodies, and 10% of all Americans are willing to do it.

Still, most Americans (81%) would not be willing to get a tattoo of their employer’s name or logo in exchange for a 15% pay raise, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Nine percent (9%) aren't 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 May 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

May 6, 2013

54% Think Mexico Should Compensate U.S. for Costs of Illegal Immigration

President Obama met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto late last week to discuss ways to reduce violence and drug trafficking along the border and stressed his continued support for immigration legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants now in the United States.  However, fewer Americans than ever view Mexico as an ally of the United States, and most still don’t believe the Mexican government wants to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 30% of Americans view Mexico as an ally of the United States. Eight percent (8%) see the southern neighbor as an enemy. A bare majority (52%) thinks Mexico is somewhere in between the two. (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 May 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.   

May 6, 2013

38% Favor Their State Blocking Federal Anti-Gun Laws

Kansas is the latest state to challenge the constitutionality of federal anti-gun laws. Voters are closely divided over whether states or the feds should be most responsible for setting gun laws and over whether states should be able to overrule federal laws they disagree with.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the federal government should be chiefly responsible for setting policies about gun ownership. Forty-nine percent (49%) think it should be a state or local issue. That includes (34%) who think state governments should determine gun ownership rules and 15% who think local governments should have that responsibility. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 3-4, 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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May 6, 2013

Fewer Border Crossings, E-Verify System Justify Bill By Michael Barone

Many loud voices in the debate over immigration have been insisting that effective border enforcement must precede any steps that legalize the status of current illegal immigrants.  

May 6, 2013

55% View Health Care Law Unfavorably

President Obama’s health care law is more unpopular than it has been for months.

Just 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now view the law at least somewhat favorably, while 55% share an unfavorable opinion of it, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This includes 14% with a Very Favorable view and 40% 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 May 3-4, 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.

May 5, 2013

68% Say Private Sector Employees Work Harder Than Government Workers

Most Americans still believe government workers are better off than those who work in the private sector.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of American Adults think employees in the private sector work harder than government workers do.  Only nine percent (9%) feel government employees work harder, but 23% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

May 4, 2013

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls -- For The Week Ending May 4, 2013

The flight delay gambit didn’t work.

In response to the recent sequester spending cuts, the Federal Aviation Administration decided to furlough air traffic controllers rather than finding savings in other areas of its budget, prompting airport delays across the country. But even after the delays, only 24% of voters think the sequester cut too much, unchanged from early March just after the government spending cuts took effect. Nearly twice as many still believe the sequester didn’t cut enough.

May 4, 2013

Voters Overwhelmingly Approve of Air and Water Quality

While only half give the overall environment a positive rating, voters are much more enthusiastic about the water they drink and the air they breathe.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the quality of drinking water where they live as good or excellent. Just four percent (4%) rate their local drinking water poorly. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.

May 3, 2013

44% Say It’s Possible For Anyone to Work Their Way Out of Poverty

Fewer Americans now think it’s possible for anyone to work their way out of poverty in the United States, but they’re more optimistic about the possibility of finding a job than they have been all year.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of American Adults now think it is possible for anyone to work their way out of poverty, down five points from early April and the lowest finding since June 2011. Thirty-six percent (36%) do not think it’s possible, and one-in-five (20%) 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 April 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.

May 3, 2013

10% Think Government Should Hire Long-Term Unemployed

Americans still don't think more government hiring is the answer to the country's unemployment problems.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 10% of American Adults think the government should hire those who can't find work after an extended period of time. Fourteen percent (14%) believe their unemployment benefits should be extended indefinitely, while 28% feel the government should pay for their retraining. Thirty-four percent (34%) think the government should do nothing at all for the long-term unemployed, but that’s down from a high of 39% in December. Fourteen percent (14%) 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 April 30-May 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

May 3, 2013

After Flight Delays, Just 24% Think Sequester Cut Too Much

Even after last week’s highly publicized flight delays that were blamed on the sequester, voters tend to think the March 1 reduction in federal spending growth didn’t go deep enough.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters think the sequester didn’t cut federal spending enough. Twenty-four percent (24%) think spending was cut too much. Eight percent (8%) say the level of cuts was about right, while 25% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 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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May 3, 2013

How to Get Fit Without Really Trying By Froma Harrop

We may not have time for exercise, but there's always time to read about exercising. And while the motivation to exercise may not be tops, the motivation to shop for "aids" to exercise seems forever strong.   

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May 3, 2013

Voters Don't Like Political Class Bossing Them Around By Scott Rasmussen

There are many ways to describe the enormous gap between the American people and their elected politicians. Most in official Washington tend to think that their elite community is smarter and better than the rest of us. Many hold a condescending view of voters and suggest that the general public is too ignorant to be treated seriously. Only 5 percent of the nation's voters, however, believe that Congress and its staff members represent the nation's best and brightest.

May 2, 2013

49% Rate Quality of U.S. Environment as Good or Excellent

Half of U.S. voters give the environment positive ratings, but far fewer believe it is getting better. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely Voters rate the quality of the environment in the United States as good or excellent. Just 11% think the environment is poor.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.

May 2, 2013

47% Think Full Housing Recovery More Than Three Years Away

Americans continue to worry about the economy but remain slightly more confident in the full recovery of the housing market.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of American Adults still think it will take more than three years for housing prices to fully recover from the downturn that began in 2008. But this is the second month in a row that number has dipped below the 50% mark and, generally speaking, reflects slightly more optimism than Americans have had since mid-2010. Seventeen percent (17%) think it will take the housing market three years to fully recover; 14% say two years, and six percent (6%) believe the housing market can recover in just one year. Sixteen percent (16%) 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 April 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

May 2, 2013

5% Say Congress Made Up of Best and Brightest

Most U.S. voters don’t think that members of Congress and their staffers are the sharpest tools in the shed. Perhaps that’s why most think they are overpaid.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only five percent (5%) of Likely Voters believe that Congress members and their staffs are the best and brightest in the nation.  Seventy-eight percent (78%) disagree. Seventeen percent (17%) 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 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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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May 2, 2013

Overdue Questions: What Might Be Missing From Bush's Presidential Library By Joe Conason

Like all such monuments that former presidents construct to edify the public, the George W. Bush Presidential Center -- opened with great ceremony in Texas last week -- is mounted from its subject's point of view.

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May 2, 2013

Obama's Blink on Syria Could Bring Peril to Allies By Michael Barone

"We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked," Secretary of State Dean Rusk famously said during the Cuban missile crisis.   

May 2, 2013

Voters Favor Choices for Prayer, Uniforms in Schools

Most voters continue to think parents should be able to choose between schools based on such things as uniforms, prayer and how long the school year lasts.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 74% of Likely Voters think parents should have a choice of whether to send their children to schools that allow prayer and those that don’t. Just 16% say parents should not have this choice, while another 10% 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 April 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.

May 1, 2013

30% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

For the second week in a row, 30% 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, April 28.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters now think the country is heading down the wrong track, also unchanged from the week before. 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.

(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 April 22-28, 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.