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                            January 23, 201335% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Thirty-five percent (35%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, January 20.
The latest finding is down a point from the previous week and down eight points from 43% the week prior to President Obama’s reelection, the highest level measured in over five years of weekly tracking. Only 26% said the country was heading in the right direction this time last year. 
Win an IPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge. This week’s answers will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET tonight.
The national telephone survey of 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen January 14-20, 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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                            January 23, 201345% Say Bailouts of Financial Industry Bad for U.S.
A plurality of voters continues to believe the financial bailouts were a bad move, and they prefer an economic system with more competition and less regulation moving forward.

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                            January 23, 201329% Expect Home's Value To Go Up Over Next Year
Homeowners remain more confident about both the short- and long-term housing market than they have been in several years. Most still believe their home is worth more than what they owe on their mortgage, and fewer homeowners than ever expect to miss or be late with a mortgage payment in the next six months
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 29% of homeowners think the value of their home will go up over the next year. That's down slightly from a high of 31% in December but is the second highest level of confidence in the short-term housing market since April 2010. Only 15% expect their home's value to go down over the next 12 months, down four points from last month and the lowest level of pessimism in nearly four years of regular surveying. Most (52%) think their home’s value will remain 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 713 Homeowners nationwide was conducted on January 20-21, 2013 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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                            January 23, 201331% Favor Eliminating A State’s Income Tax In Exchange for Higher Sales Taxes
Voters are evenly divided over whether their state taxes are too high or about right, and they aren’t enthusiastic about proposals by several governors to eliminate state income taxes in exchange for higher sales taxes.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of Likely U.S. Voters think it’s a good idea to swap income taxes for sales taxes. But 41% disagree and don’t think it’s a good idea to eliminate a state’s income tax in exchange for a higher sales tax. Twenty-eight percent (28%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Win an IPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge . This week’s answers will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET tonight.
(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.
This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 21-22, 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. 
January 23, 2013Shopping Around for a Better Life By John Stossel
Thanks, California! Thanks for your monstrous spending and absurd regulatory overreach! America needs you. We need Connecticut and Illinois, too! We need you the way we needed the Soviet Union, as models of failure, to warn us what happens if we believe those who say, "Government can."
Moving to California was once the dream for many Americans. Its population grew at almost triple the national average -- until 1990. Then big government, in the form of endless regulation and taxes, killed much of the dream. In the last decade, 2 million people left California.

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                            January 23, 201352% Believe Most Get Rich By Working Hard
Some believe that most people get rich by inheriting money or by getting lucky. Others think the path to riches is hard work.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just over half (52%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe hard work is the path most follow to riches. Twenty-eight percent (28%) think most get rich by inheriting money, and nine percent (9%) see luck as the key factor. (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.
This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 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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                            January 22, 201336% View Marco Rubio Favorably
Immigration reform will be a major focus of both parties in Washington this year, and voters still have mixed feelings about the senator leading the charge on the issue from the Republican side. Meanwhile, a prominent GOP figure on federal budget matters is viewed less favorably than before his unsuccessful bid for the vice presidency.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 36% of Likely Voters view Florida Senator Marco Rubio favorably, including 16% who view him Very Favorably. Thirty-two percent (32%) share an unfavorable opinion of the senator, including 12% with a Very Unfavorable one. Another 32% are undecided about the man many see as a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. (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 January 17-18, 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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                            January 22, 201380% Think Lower Tuition Costs Would Help Students More Than Easier Loan Access
Most Americans believe the availability of student loans has helped push up the cost of going to college and that lowering those tuitions would do more for students than granting easier access to loans.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of American Adults now think the availability of student loans has helped increase college tuition costs. That's up four points from 48% last April.  Just 17% disagree, but a sizable 31% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Eighty percent (80%) believe lower tuition costs would help students more than easier access to student loans. Only 14% think easier access to loans would help more.
Win an iPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge. A new question is available today.
(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 January 18-19, 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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                            January 22, 201353% Favor Background Checks for Existing Gun Owners
Americans strongly believe that it was wrong for a suburban New York newspaper to publish the names and addresses of legitimate gun owners, but most also favor background checks for existing gun owners to determine whether they should keep their firearm.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 17% of American Adults feel it was appropriate for the newspaper to publish the names and addresses of all residents in its area who have legal gun permits. Seventy-four percent (74%) think it was not appropriate for the newspaper to print that information. (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 January 16-17, 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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                            January 22, 201381% Think Congress Should Take Big Pay Cut Until Budget is Balanced
Voters overwhelmingly believe members of Congress should take a pay cut until the federal budget is balanced, and a plurality thinks the president should do the same. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of Likely U.S. Voters feel members of Congress should take a 25% pay cut until the federal budget is balanced. Only 12% disagree.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Win an iPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge. A new question is available today.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 19-20, 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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                            January 22, 2013Only 32% Are Aware If Their State Is Establishing A Health Care Exchange
Most voters still aren’t sure if their state has created a health care exchange as a requirement of President Obama’s national health care law, but support for creating one is up slightly from last month. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters now would like to see their state set up a health care exchange to assist with the implementation of the health care law. That’s up three points from December.
Still, 31% are opposed to the creation of such an exchange, while 20% 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 January 19-20, 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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                            January 22, 201330% Think Terrorists Are Winning War on Terror
Belief that terrorists are winning the War on Terror is at its highest level in three years.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That's up from 36% in October but down from a high of 55% in May 2011 just after the killing of Osama bin Laden. Thirty percent (30%) now believe the terrorists are winning the war, up from 26% three months ago and the highest level of pessimism since January 2011. Twenty-three percent (23%) think neither side is winning. (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 January 19-20, 2014 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. 
January 22, 2013More Thoughts on Aaron Swartz By Froma Harrop
Open-access people, meet the copyright laws. Much has been written about Aaron Swartz, the computer genius who killed himself after being charged with a variety of cybercrimes. Some ardent friends accuse the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of having cruelly called in the police to deal with him.
By then, MIT had foiled multiple attempts to illegally download academic journals and realized that someone had broken in to a wire closet to achieve the same end. MIT security analysts had also detected activity from China on the netbook being used, making them extra wary.

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                            January 22, 2013Scott Rasmussen's NY Times Bestseller "The People's Money" Now Available in Paperback
Scott Rasmussen's most recent book, "The People's Money," which made the New York Times bestseller list in 2011, is a call to arms for voters to be heard and an ultimatum for a grossly out-of-touch American political system. It's one of the most informed, provocative and yet hopeful books on the economic state of the union yet written, and now it's available in paperback.

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                            January 21, 2013Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 44%, Republicans 39%
Democrats hold a five-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending January 20, 2013.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% 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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from January 14-20, 2013. 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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                            January 21, 201354% Think State, Local Governments Should Have Property Insurance
Most Americans believe local and state governments should obtain insurance to financially protect their public properties and feel this would help lower disaster relief costs to taxpayers which run into the billions of dollars.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults believe that, regardless of current policy, state and local governments should buy property insurance to financially protect buildings, parks and other assets.  Sixteen percent (16%) disagree, but 30% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here).
 
Win an iPad:  Take the Rasmussen Challenge.  A new question will be available tomorrow, January 22. 
(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 January 18-19, 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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                            January 21, 201353% Say Economic Growth More Important Than Economic Fairness
Most voters see economic growth as more important than economic fairness but recognize that there is a conflict between the two.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters think economic growth is more important than economic fairness. Thirty-five percent (35%) think economic fairness is more important. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. This remains generally unchanged from December but is down from a high of 62% who rated economic growth more important in July. (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.
This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 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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                            January 21, 201341% Think U.S. President Most Powerful Person in the World, 44% Disagree
As President Obama formally begins his second term today, voters are almost evenly divided as to whether or not the president of the United States is the most powerful person in the world, but half think he has the right amount of power.
Twenty-one percent (21%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the U.S. president doesn’t have enough power, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. A slightly larger number (28%) think the president has too much power. A plurality (47%) rates his level of power as about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in the new Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard to find out and check back for a new question tomorrow.
This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 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.
January 21, 2013GOP Puts Spotlight on Feckless Senate Democrats By Michael Barone
Have the House Republicans come up with a winning strategy on the debt ceiling and spending cuts? Or just a viable one? Maybe so.
They certainly need one that is at least the latter, if not the former. Barack Obama is up in the polls since the election, as most re-elected presidents have been. The most recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows him with 52 percent approval and 44 percent disapproval. Other public polls have similar results.
In contrast, the NBC/WSJ poll reports that only 26 percent have positive feelings about the Republican Party and 51 negative feelings. Toward Speaker John Boehner only 18 percent have positive feelings and 37 percent negative feelings.

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                            January 21, 201380% View Martin Luther King, Jr. Favorably
Americans still hold strongly favorable views of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 80% of American Adults view King favorably, while just 13% hold an unfavorable opinion of him. This includes 47% with a Very Favorable view and four percent (4%) 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 Adults was conducted on January 14-15, 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.