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                            December 29, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending December 29, 2012
Like it or not, Americans seem resigned to tumbling over the “fiscal cliff.” Perhaps in part it’s because they recognize, as economist Lawrence Kudlow noted on a recent edition of What America Thinks, that it’s more of a fiscal slope. 
Most voters still want to avoid the automatic tax hikes and modest spending cuts, but only 14% think Congress and the president are Very Likely to reach an agreement to avoid it. Voters by a 44% to 36% margin tend to blame congressional Republicans more than the president for the impasse, but 15% think both sides are to blame.
Despite all the hoopla surrounding the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, most voters nationwide expect a recession next year regardless of whether a deal is reached. Seventy percent (70%) predict recession if there’s no deal, but 54% think one is coming even if President Obama and Congress come to an agreement.

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                            December 28, 2012U.S. Economic Expectations Remain Stable
Despite uncertainty surrounding the "fiscal cliff" negotiations in Washington, expectations about the short- and long-term economy remain relatively unchanged from recent months.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 33% of American Adults believe the economy will be stronger a year from now. Slightly more (39%) think the economy will be weaker in a year’s time, while 19% say it will 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 national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on December 26-27, 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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                            December 28, 201254% Favor 20% Cap on Income Tax If Deductions Are Ended
Most voters favor making the first $20,000 someone earns tax free and taxing income greater than $100,000 at a 20% rate in exchange for eliminating all their personal deductions.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of Likely U.S. Voters support a proposal that would make the first $20,000 of income earned by anyone tax free. Just 19% are opposed, while 13% more are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 22, 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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                            December 28, 201247% Think Health Care System Will Worsen Over Next Two Years
Most voters continue to give positive marks to the health care they currently receive, but nearly half expect the health care system in this country to get worse over the next couple of years.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 78% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the overall quality of the health care they receive as good or excellent. Only seven percent (7%) consider the care they get 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 December 26, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
December 28, 2012Listen Now: Special Edition of The Rasmussen Report on WOR Radio
Scott Rasmussen is hosting special two-hour editions of the Rasmussen Report on WOR Radio in New York. Rasmussen will be behind the microphone on Friday, December 28 from ten till noon Eastern, and on January 1 from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The shows will be live streamed at wor710.com WOR is the anchor affiliate for Scott’s nationally syndicated radio updates which air three times daily. Listen live here: http://www.iheart.com/live/5874/?autoplay=true
December 28, 2012The Politics of Threat By Froma Harrop
The people are sad. If holiday shopping is any measure of public mood, the joy vanished this year. The grade-school massacre depressed everyone, and now our rapid approach to the Fiscal Cliff has many scared and afraid to spend money.

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                            December 28, 2012Tax Reform Works for Voters, Not for Political Class: By Scott Rasmussen
Tax reform with lower rates and fewer loopholes would be good for America and popular with voters. But substantive reform won't come any time soon. To understand why, it's helpful to remember that America's political heritage did not begin in 1776 but on the streets of London in the 16th to 18th centuries. Those were the formative years for the political ideas embraced by our Founding Fathers. Like America today, those years in London saw a high level of tension between the general public and the elites.

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                            December 27, 2012Only 25% Think Medicare Costs Can Be Reduced By Changing Medicare Alone
Most voters continue to hold a favorable opinion of Medicare, but they also believe it will take more than changes within the federal health care program for the elderly to bring down how much it costs. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of Likely U.S. Voters view Medicare favorably, but that includes just 25% with a Very Favorable opinion. Still, only 24% regard the program unfavorably, with five percent (5%) who have a Very Unfavorable view of it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 20-21, 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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                            December 27, 201247% Have Favorable Opinion of John Kerry
President Obama has nominated Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to replace retiring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and 47% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the prospective new Cabinet member. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% view the unsuccessful 2004 Democratic presidential candidate unfavorably. 
These findings include 17% with a Very Favorable opinion of Kerry and 23% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 22, 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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                            December 27, 2012No ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Deal? 44% Blame GOP, 36% Obama
Most voters still want President Obama and Congress to avoid the “fiscal cliff” of big tax hikes and automatic across-the-board spending cuts scheduled to kick in next Tuesday, but fewer than ever think a deal is likely. Voters tend to blame congressional Republicans more than the president for the impasse.
Sixty-two percent (62%) of Likely U.S. Voters think Congress and the president should stop the tax increase and spending cuts totaling more than $500 billion from going into effect on January 1. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 18% disagree, while 20% more are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 26, 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.
December 27, 2012Obama's Numbers Went Down, but Romney Never Inspired Voters to Vote By Michael Barone
In combing through the results of the 2012 election -- apparently finally complete, nearly two months after the fact -- I continue to find many similarities between 2012 and 2004, and one enormous difference.
Both of the elections involved incumbent presidents with approval ratings hovering around or just under 50 percent facing challengers who were rich men from Massachusetts (though one made his money and the other married it).
In both cases, the challenger and his campaign seemed confident he was going to win -- and had reasonable grounds to believe so.
December 27, 2012Veterans Denounce Neoconservative 'Swiftboating' of Chuck Hagel By Joe Conason
If Chuck Hagel is nominated by President Obama to serve as Secretary of Defense, there will be at least three compelling arguments in his favor. He served with distinction in the military and would  -- like Secretary of State nominee John Kerry -- bring a veteran's perspective to his post. He has adopted and articulated a sane perspective on the grave foreign policy blunders whose consequences still haunt the nation, including the Iraq and Vietnam wars. And as we have learned ever since his nomination was first floated, he has made all the right (and right-wing) enemies.

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                            December 27, 201243% Think U.S. Safer Today Than Before 9/11
With Americans focused on the U.S. economy, there has been little change in perceptions of the War on Terror. However, belief that the country is safer today than before 9/11 has fallen to levels found before the killing of Osama bin Laden.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s little changed from a month ago. Over the past year-and-a-half, confidence that the U.S. is winning has stayed between 44% and 51%.
Prior to the killing of Osama bin Laden, confidence in the War on Terror had been lower, falling to 32% in April 2011.
Currently, 18% think the terrorists are winning, while another 28% say neither side is ahead. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 22, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 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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                            December 26, 201235% 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, December 22.
That's down from 37% last week and the lowest finding since early September. After Election Day, confidence in the nation’s course initially tracked in the low 40s, the highest level of optimism during the Obama years. The latest finding is more in line with attitudes in September and October but is still slightly higher than was found earlier in 2012. This week’s finding is up 11 points from the beginning of the year and up 15 points from a year ago.
(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 December 17-22, 2012. 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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                            December 26, 201238% Favor More Regulation of U.S. Financial System
Support for more regulation of the U.S. financial system is at an all-time high, but a plurality of voters still thinks more competition is best for the markets.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 49% believe more competition and less regulation is better for the financial system than more regulation and less competition. But 38% now take the opposite view and think more regulation and less competition is the way to go. 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 December 20-21, 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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                            December 26, 201252% Favor Reducing or Eliminating Tax Deductions for Wealthier Americans
Voters tend to think income tax deductions help wealthier Americans more than taxpayers in the middle class, and most favor reducing or eliminating those deductions for those who earn more than $250,000 a year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters believe tax deductions help upper-income Americans the most. Thirty-nine percent (39%) think those deductions are more beneficial to middle-class taxpayers. 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 Likely Voters was conducted on December 22, 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.
December 26, 2012Charity Begins With Wealth Creation By John Stossel
Charity -- helping people who have trouble helping themselves -- is a good thing two times over. It's good for the beneficiary and good for the donor, too. Stephen Post's fine book, "The Hidden Gifts of Helping," reveals that 76 percent of Americans say that helping others is what makes them most happy. Giving money makes us feel good, and helping face-to-face is even better. People say it makes them feel physically healthier. They sleep better.
Private charity is unquestioningly better than government efforts to help people. Government squanders money. Charities sometime squander money, too, but they usually don't.
December 26, 2012Getting More for Less in Health Care By Froma Harrop
Sad, sad, sad that in talking about budget cuts, we use painful words like "extracting billions from Medicare" or "slashing the Medicare entitlement." Has it ever occurred to the gladiators that improving the quality of health care can also save money? If Medicare spends less on a patient because the hospital does a good job the first time, that's what we call a win-win situation. The patient gets better care. The taxpayers get billed only once. Yay.

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                            December 26, 2012Most Expect 2013 Recession With Or Without 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal
Most voters nationwide expect a recession in 2013 regardless of whether a deal is reached to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff.” If a deal is reached and the December 31 fiscal cliff of big tax hikes and automatic across-the-board spending cuts is avoided, 54% of voters believe a recession is likely next year. If no deal is reached, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 70% think a recession is likely.
These figures include 26% who believe a recession is Very Likely with a deal and 42% who believe it is Very Likely without one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 20-21, 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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                            December 25, 201260% Celebrate Christmas As Religious Holiday
Merry Christmas. Today is one of America’s most celebrated holidays although the celebration takes many forms and has different meanings for different people. Seventy-six percent (76%) of those who celebrate opened Christmas presents this morning. Nineteen percent (19%) opened them last night.
Sixty percent (60%) of Americans celebrate Christmas primarily as a religious holiday. To Christians, it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Fifty-seven percent (57%) will attend a religious service during the holiday season. (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 nationwide was conducted on December 21, 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.