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August 21, 2011

Scott to Host a New Episode of "The Rasmussen Report" on Radio This Sunday

The Rasmussen Report airs live today at 3:06 pm on WMAL/630AM in Washington, WLS/890AM in Chicago, and online everywhere. Join Scott as he hosts a discussion on the current economic and political mood of America and takes calls from listeners.

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August 21, 2011

71% Say Too Many People Get Welfare Who Shouldn't

Americans overwhelmingly believe that the bigger problem with the welfare system in the United States is that there are too many overqualified recipients rather than not enough. Most also think legal immigrants should have to wait at least three years before being eligible for welfare benefits.

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August 20, 2011

Voters Put Border Control Ahead of Amnesty by 2-1 Margin

Even as the Obama administration moves to slow the pace of deportation for illegal immigrants, voters continue to believe strongly that gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States.

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August 20, 2011

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending August 19, 2011

Rick Perry vs. Barack Obama? We’ll see, but that’s what voters were telling us this past week. They also have some good advice on where Congress can look to cut the bloated federal budget.

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August 19, 2011

55% Say Their Home Worth More Than What They Owe

While recent housing numbers have been bleak, the number of homeowners who report their home is currently worth more than the amount they still owe on their mortgage is at its highest level since January.

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August 19, 2011

Many See Those in 'Poverty' As Not So Poor

A recent survey based on several government studies finds that many of those the federal government says are living in poverty have a decent place to live, adequate food on the table and two color TVs, among other amenities, and most Americans don't regard that as being poor.

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August 19, 2011

Voters Like Government Student Loans, Frown on Pell Grants That Don’t Have To be Repaid

Government student loans are another area under the congressional budget-cutting microscope. Most voters favor their continuation for poor and middle-income students but are decidedly less enthusiastic about outright government grants for schooling that don’t need to be repaid.

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August 19, 2011

In Iowa, It's Up Close and Personal By Kyle Kondik

As the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames was wrapping up Saturday, a reporter rushed onto the floor of Iowa State University's Hilton Coliseum, where the press was filing their stories. She went up to her colleagues with what she said was a new, breaking quote from Michele Bachmann: Bachmann, the reporter said, had just vowed to make Barack Obama a "one-term president."

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August 19, 2011

The Commentary Pages Are No Tea Party By Froma Harrop

Several columnists recently referred to the tea party "patriots" as terrorists. The terrorist label set off a stormy protest among the group's legion of message writers.

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August 19, 2011

58% of GOP Primary Voters See Tea Party As A Plus for Republicans in 2012

While many Democrats, journalists, and establishment Republicans have been critical of the Tea Party, most Republicans think the grass roots smaller government movement will be a plus for their party in next year’s presidential race.

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August 18, 2011

28% Say They’re Conservative On Both Fiscal and Social Issues

A plurality of U.S. voters continues to say they’re politically conservative when it comes to fiscal issue, but voters are more evenly divided on their social views.

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August 18, 2011

Homeowners Remain Pessimistic About Home Values Over Next Year

Perceptions of home values among homeowners has improved little over the past month, though more than half still believe their home is worth more than when they bought it.

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August 18, 2011

49% Concerned Efforts To Identify Illegal Immigrants Will Violate Civil Rights

Voters are showing less concern that anti-immigration efforts will also end up violating civil rights and most continue to oppose automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrants.

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August 18, 2011

The Dirty Thirties By Larry J. Sabato

President Obama has found himself in the cellar for the first time since taking office: He fell to 39% in Gallup Poll tracking over the past weekend. Obama may or may not have a month or months when his average is below 40%. Still, it is a number that has already imprinted itself on the mind of the political community.

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August 18, 2011

Harry S. Obama? By Michael Barone

Pundits lately have been comparing Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter, suggesting he is a likely loser in 2012. But my American Enterprise Institute colleague Norman Ornstein, writing in The New Republic, compares Obama to Harry S. Truman, suggesting he may outperform the polls and win.

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August 18, 2011

68% Expect DC Politics to Become Even More Partisan

While voters feel stronger than they have in a year that politics in Washington will grow more partisan in the near future, they say Democrats in Congress are behaving more bipartisan than Republicans are.

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August 17, 2011

15% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Just 15% 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, August 14. 

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August 17, 2011

New High: 62% Expect To Pay Higher Interest Rates Next Year

More Americans than ever predict they will be paying higher interest rates a year from now, despite the fact that most say they’re paying about the same in interest as they were last year.

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August 17, 2011

New Low: Only 15% Now Expect Situation in Afghanistan To Improve Over Next Six Months

Voter confidence about the short-term course of the war in Afghanistan has fallen to its lowest level in nearly two years, while confidence about the direction in Iraq over the next six months has dropped to the lowest point in almost five years of surveying.

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August 17, 2011

20% Now Support U.S. Military Action in Libya

Voter support for continued military action in Libya continues to fall along with the number of voters who think dictator Moammar Gaddafi will be removed from power as a result.