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                            November 21, 2012Elections Haven’t Changed Negative Views of Top Congressional Leaders
Despite the noise and the passions of this year’s elections, all four of the top congressional leaders from both parties are back and remain just as unpopular as they were before Election Day. The same goes for Vice President Joe Biden.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the House Democrats, is still the most unpopular as she has been since her years as Speaker of the House. But she’s closely followed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and current House Speaker John Boehner. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell continues to be the least well-known. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Given the holiday week, there will be no Rasmussen Challenge  this week. The contest will resume on Tuesday, November 27.
(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 November 18-19, 2012 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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                            November 20, 201233% Say U.S. Legal System Puts National Security Ahead of Individual Rights
One third (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters now believe the legal system in this country worries more about protecting national security rather than about individual rights. Twenty-five percent (25%) think the U.S. legal system worries too much about protecting individual rights instead, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s down five points from last month but generally in line with findings prior to that. Thirty percent (30%) think the balance 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 12-13, 2012 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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                            November 20, 201250% Expect Weaker Economy In One Year
Americans are much more pessimistic about both the short- and long-term economic future following President Obama's reelection.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults now believe the economy will be weaker in a year's time. That's a 27-point jump from October and the lowest finding since September of last year. Just 34% believe the U.S. economy will be stronger a year from now, down seven points from a month ago but more in line with findings earlier this year. Nine percent (9%) expect it to be about the same.  (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 2,000 Adults was conducted on November 15-16 & 19, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error 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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                            November 20, 2012Voters Rate GOP More Partisan Than Democrats in Congress
Voters now consider Democrats in Congress more bipartisan than they have in several years and congressional Republicans as less so. However, most think both parties continue to behave in a partisan manner.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of Likely U.S. Voters now believe congressional Democrats are acting on a bipartisan basis. By contrast, only 22% think the same of Republicans in Congress.
Similarly, while 61% feel congressional Republicans are acting like partisan Republicans, just 53% believe that to be true of Democrats in Congress. Roughly 16% are undecided when it comes to both parties. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Given the holiday week, there will be no Rasmussen Challenge this week. The contest will resume on Tuesday, November 27.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 16-17, 2012 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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                            November 20, 201247% Say U.S. Should Stay Out of Escalating Gaza Situation
Voters tend to blame the Palestinians for the escalating violence in Gaza but also are slightly more inclined to think the United States should stay out of the situation rather than help Israel.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters feel the Palestinians are more to blame for the escalating military conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Just 12% think the Israelis are more to blame, but a sizable 38% 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 November 18-19, 2012 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.
November 20, 2012Health Coverage a 'Gift' to Ourselves By Froma Harrop
One of the more curious "gifts" in Mitt Romney's list of ways Barack Obama allegedly bought off voters was letting young people up to the age of 26 stay on their parents' health plan. It was a gift, all right, a gift to America.

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                            November 20, 201246% See Congressional Democrats’ Agenda As Mainstream, 37% Say Same of GOP’s
As Congress enters a lame duck session, voters view the Democratic agenda as more mainstream than the Republican one.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 46% of Likely Voters believe it is more accurate to describe the agenda of Democrats in Congress as mainstream, while 41% see it as extreme. Another 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 16-17, 2012 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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                            November 19, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 45%, Republicans 40%
Democrats now lead Republicans by five points on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending November 18, 2012.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Republican instead.
(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 November 12-18, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point 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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                            November 19, 201253% Favor Automatic Immigration Checks During Traffic Stops
Over half of voters still think police officers should automatically check someone’s immigration status if they pull them over, but that is the lowest finding to date.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters think police should automatically check immigration status during traffic stops, down from 60% in August. Thirty-seven percent (37%) do not think police should automatically check immigration status, the highest finding in surveys since November 2007. (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 November 15, 2012 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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                            November 19, 2012Just 37% Expect Their Home To Be Worth More in Five Years
Short-term confidence in the housing market remains unchanged, but long-term confidence is at its lowest level in a year of monthly tracking. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 24% of Adult Homeowners now believe their home’s value will go up over the next year.  Twenty-seven percent (27%) say their home’s value will go down over the next year, while 45% expect it to remain about the same.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Given the holiday week, there will be no Rasmussen Challenge this week. The contest will resume on Tuesday, November 27.
The survey of 745 Homeowners nationwide was conducted on November 17-18, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports.  The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 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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                            November 19, 201255% Rate Government Response to Hurricane Sandy Positively
Most voters give positive marks to the governmental response to Hurricane Sandy on the Atlantic Coast. But they’re almost evenly divided when asked whether states or the federal government should be responsible for most post-storm cleanup costs.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the way government agencies responded to the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy as good or excellent. Only 15% view that response as poor. (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 November 16-17, 2012 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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                            November 19, 201242% Willing To Pay More in Taxes to Balance Budget If Real Spending Cuts Are Made
If real spending cuts aren’t enough, voters are evenly divided over whether they’d be willing to pay more in taxes to balance the budget. They’re similarly divided when it comes to cutting income tax deductions for higher-income Americans, but most like the idea of making all income up to $20,000 tax-free.
If the president and Congress agreed to a long-term plan to significantly reduce federal spending and the deficit, 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would be personally willing to pay “a bit more” in taxes to balance the budget if the spending cuts were not enough. But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that another 42% are not willing to pay more even if they were assured that the spending cuts were real. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Given the holiday week, there will be no Rasmussen Challenge this week.  The contest will resume on Tuesday, November 27, 2012.
(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 November 15, 2012 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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                            November 18, 201232% Favor Raising Taxes to Shore Up Medicare
Nearly one-out-of-three Likely U.S. Voters (32%) now think raising taxes is the best way to make sure Medicare has enough money to cover all promised benefits. That's the highest finding to date.
Slightly more (34%) believe the best option is raising the eligibility age for future generations, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Ten percent (10%) support cutting the promised level of benefits, and 25% are not sure which is the best option. (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 Likely Voters was conducted on November 14, 2012 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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                            November 17, 2012Americans Feel A Bit More Generous This Holiday Season
Americans plan to be a little less tight with their money this gift-giving season.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of American Adults say they will spend less on gifts than they did last year.  But that's down from 62% this time last year, 58% in 2010 and 71% in 2009.
Still, only 13% of Americans plan to spend more on gifts, up just slightly from last year. Thirty-one percent (31%) will spend about the same amount, but that's up eight points from 23% a year ago.  (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 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 13-14, 2012 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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                            November 17, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls -- For The Week Ending November 17, 2012
You can bet President Obama and Congress don’t want to leave Americans huge tax hikes and deep across-the-board spending cuts as a late holiday present, so official Washington is scrambling to avoid the end-of-the-year “fiscal cliff.” Voters think that’s a good idea.

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                            November 16, 201259% Favor A Welcoming Immigration Policy
Most voters continue to welcome newcomers to this country as long as they pose no threat to public safety.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the goal of immigration policy should be to keep out only criminals, national security threats and those who come here to life off the welfare system. Just 25% disagree with an immigration policy like this, while 16% more 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 Likely Voters was conducted on November 15, 2012 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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                            November 16, 201257% Favor Tax Hike On Those Who Make Over $250,000
Most voters favor raising taxes on those who earn more than $250,000 a year but recognize that that won’t be enough to balance the federal budget.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters favor raising taxes on people who earn more than $250,000 a year. Thirty-five percent (35%) are opposed. (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 Likely Voters was conducted on November 15, 2012 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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                            November 16, 20127% Have Already Finished Their Holiday Shopping
There is still a week to go before the Black Friday shopping rush, but for seven percent (7%) of Americans, their holiday shopping’s already all done.
Nearly one-third of American Adults (32%) have started their holiday shopping, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But 65% have not yet begun to shop. (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 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 13-14, 2012 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.
November 16, 2012Mitt Romney's Sneering Farewell to the '47 Percent' By Joe Conason
Trying to explain away his decisive, sweeping and very expensive rout to his disappointed supporters -- those one-percent Republicans -- Mitt Romney offered a new version of the discredited "47 percent" argument that was so ruinous in its original form. In a Wednesday afternoon conference call, the defeated Republican nominee told donors and fundraisers that President Obama had won by lavishing generous "gifts" upon certain groups, including young voters, African-Americans and Latinos.

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                            November 16, 2012Americans Favor a New Approach to War on Drugs By Scott Rasmussen
More than 40 years ago, the federal government launched a war on drugs. Over the past decade, the nation has spent hundreds of billions of dollars fighting that war, a figure that does not even include the high costs of prosecuting and jailing drug law offenders. It's hard to put a price on that aspect of the drug war since half of all inmates in federal prison today were busted for drugs.