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June 15, 2012

50% Say Financial Industry Bailouts Were Bad for U.S.

Fifty percent (50%) of Likely U.S. Voters still believe the government bailouts of the financial industry were bad for the country, but voters are now almost evenly divided on the effectiveness of the auto company bailouts.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters think the financial industry bailouts were good for the United States. Seventeen percent (17%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 11-12, 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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June 15, 2012

Michigan: Obama 50%, Romney 42%

President Obama draws 50% support against Mitt Romney in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the presidential race in Michigan.

A new statewide telephone survey shows that 42% of Likely Voters support Romney. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Michigan was conducted on June 14, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

June 15, 2012

40% Think Holder Should Resign As Attorney General

The Justice Department’s Fast and Furious operation was conceived as a way to catch illegal gun runners but instead put guns in the hands of Mexican drug criminals.  Congress wants to know why and has been battling with Attorney General Eric Holder for more information. A sizable number of voters now think Holder should resign.

In fact, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% of Likely U.S. Voters oppose Holder’s resignation. Forty percent (40%) are in favor of the attorney general stepping down, but another 33% 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 June 13-14, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 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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June 15, 2012

Did Young Romney Impersonate a Police Officer? Another Witness Says Yes By Joe Conason

When Mitt Romney was a college freshman, he told fellow residents of his Stanford University dormitory that he sometimes disguised himself as a police officer -- a crime in many states, including Michigan and California, where he then lived. And he had the uniform on display as proof.

June 15, 2012

72% Say Media Hurts National Security When They Release Secret Documents

In response to news outlets publishing top secret national security information, lawmakers in Congress are drafting legislation to limit access to such information and to create new penalties for revealing it. Seventy-two percent (72%) of Likely U.S. Voters say when media outlets release secret government documents, they are hurting national security.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 14% believe the media is providing a public service when it releases that information.  Another 15% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on June 11-12, 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.

June 15, 2012

Collapse of Household Net Worth Isn't News to Most Americans By Scott Rasmussen

The new Federal Reserve report showing that household net worth collapsed between 2007 and 2010 quickly became campaign fodder for both sides.

June 14, 2012

62% Would Rather Be Called Good Citizen Than Patriot

More voters than ever would rather be called a good citizen than a patriot, but a plurality thinks they’re really one and the same.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Likely U.S. Voters would rather be called a good citizen, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This finding has been on the rise since May 2010 when 52% said they’d rather be called a good citizen. Fifty-seven percent (57%) said the same in May of last year.

Twenty-five percent (25%) now would rather be called a patriot, but 13% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 9-10, 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.

June 14, 2012

78% Remain Concerned About Inflation

Most Americans continue to lack confidence in the Federal Reserve Board’s ability to keep inflation under control, and they overwhelmingly expect to pay more for the groceries they buy.  

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 78% of American Adults are at least somewhat concerned about inflation, including 49% who are Very Concerned.  Just 19% are not very or Not At All concerned about inflation.  (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 June 10-11, 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.

June 14, 2012

Worker Output Trumps Seniority, Education When It Comes to Pay

Ask Americans who should get paid more, and they continue to believe the hardest workers should take home bigger checks than those with greater seniority or a higher level of education.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of American Adults think that given two workers with the same job at the same company the one who gets more done should be paid more than the one who has more seniority. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 16% feel the worker with more time on the job should get more pay, while another 16% say the two workers should be paid the same amount. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 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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June 14, 2012

50% Trust Romney More Than Obama To Handle Economy

Voters continue to trust likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney more than President Obama when it comes to the economy and taxes but are more narrowly divided on three other key issues.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 50% trust Romney more to handle the economy, while 42% trust the president more. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 11-12, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 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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June 14, 2012

Why the U.S. Is Not Greece By Froma Harrop

America is not going the way of Greece, and North Dakota has shown us why. Residents were given the opportunity Tuesday to vote their property taxes out of existence, and they chose not to take it.

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June 14, 2012

Obama Listens to Rich Liberals, at His Own Peril By Michael Barone

Who does Barack Obama listen to?

Not Republican politicians. Evidently weeks go by between his conversations with Speaker John Boehner, who determines what legislation comes to the House floor.

Not Democratic politicians. We have it on good authority that he seldom talks to Democratic members of Congress. Lyndon Johnson used to be on the phone constantly, cajoling and inveigling but also on the alert for shifts in opinion.

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June 14, 2012

Wisconsin Senate: Thompson (R) 52%, Baldwin (D) 36%

Former Governor Tommy Thompson now earns his highest level of support yet against Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race, while the other Republican hopefuls remain nearly tied with her.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Wisconsin finds Thompson with 52% support to Baldwin’s 36%. Six percent (6%) favor some other candidate, and another six percent (6%) 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 500 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on June 12, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 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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June 13, 2012

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-nine percent (29%) 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, June 10.

For the prior two weeks, 31% felt the country was heading in the right direction.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports June 4-10, 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

June 13, 2012

Voters Still Trust Their Own Economic Judgment Over Romney's, Obama's

Most voters continue to trust themselves more on economic issues than President Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. 

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Likely Voters say they trust their own judgment over the president’s when it comes to economic issues affecting the nation.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 31% trust Obama’s judgment more than their own.  (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 June 7-8, 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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June 13, 2012

Wisconsin: Romney 47%, Obama 44%

Mitt Romney now leads President Obama for the first time in Wisconsin where the president's support has fallen to its lowest level to date. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Romney with 47% of the vote to Obama’s 44%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on June 12, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

June 13, 2012

47% Think Leaks of Classified Information Will Hurt President’s Campaign

Most voters are concerned about recent leaks of classified security data to the news media, and a plurality believes those leaks will hurt President Obama’s reelection chances.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 73% of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat concerned that the security leaks will compromise national security, with 40% who are Very Concerned. Twenty-five percent (25%) don’t have that concern, but that includes just three percent (3%) who are Not At All Concerned. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on June 11-12, 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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June 13, 2012

Improving Health Care By John Stossel

Any day now, the U.S. Supreme will rule on whether the Obamacare insurance mandate is constitutional. Seems like a no-brainer to me. How can forcing me to engage in commerce be constitutional?

June 13, 2012

82% Oppose Replacing “Star-Spangled Banner” With New National Anthem

Bruce Springsteen topped the list in a recent poll asking who should write a new U.S. national anthem, but Americans feel more strongly than ever that the song we’ve got is just fine.

A new Rasmussen Reports national anthem finds that just 12% of American Adults believe the United States should change its national anthem from “The Star-Spangled Banner” to another patriotic song such as “America the Beautiful” or “God Bless America.” Eighty-two percent (82%) oppose changing the song written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 and adopted officially as the U.S. national anthem in 1931. (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 was conducted on June 8-9, 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.

June 12, 2012

Top Congressional Leaders Are A Little Less Disliked

Voters like the top Congressional leaders a little more this month—or rather, they dislike them a little less.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi remains the least-liked congressional leader, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters hold at least a somewhat favorable view of the former House speaker. Fifty-six percent (56%) see her at least somewhat unfavorably, but that’s down from 63% last month. These findings include 13% with a Very Favorable opinion and 44% with a Very Unfavorable one. Eleven percent (11%) do not know enough about Pelosi to offer an opinion. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on June 7-8, 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.