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                            December 20, 201140% Confident Fed Can Keep Inflation, Interest Rates Down
Most Americans remain concerned about inflation but are slightly more confident in the Federal Reserve Board's ability to keep it under control.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 40% are at least somewhat confident that the Fed will be able to keep inflation under control and interest rates down, but that includes only five percent (5%) who are Very Confident.
(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 December 11-12, 2011 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 20, 2011Election 2012: Obama 48%, Gingrich 37%
For the third straight week, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has lost ground in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup against President Obama.  
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama attracting 48% of voters, while Gingrich earns the vote from 37%.  Nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided. 
December 20, 2011Gifts for the Unemployed By Froma Harrop
To many rational economists, holiday gift-giving is "an orgy of wealth-destruction," writes Dan Ariely in The Wall Street Journal. A behavioral economist at Duke University, Ariely makes pro-gifting arguments while acknowledging the bah-humbug view, which goes as follows: Givers often spend money on things others don't necessarily want, and the recipients frequently think the present cost less than the price actually paid for it. 'Tis more rational to give cash.

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                            December 20, 201169% Say Photo ID Voting Laws Are Not Discriminatory
Attorney General Eric Holder signaled last week that the Justice Department will be closely examining new state laws that require showing a photo ID before voting for potential racial bias, but voters nationwide overwhelmingly favor such a requirement and reject the idea that it is discriminatory.
Seventy percent (70%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe voters should be required to show photo identification such as a driver’s license before being allowed to cast their ballot. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% oppose this kind of requirement. (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 18-19, 2011 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 20, 2011Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen Join Fred Thompson To Discuss Election 2012 on Fox News
Which 2012 hopeful has the best shot to win the White House?

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                            December 20, 201136% Support Complete Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving
Last week the National Transportation Safety Board called for a federal ban on all cellular phone use while driving, including hands-free devices.  More than one-third of Americans favor such a ban, but most think hands-free devices should still be allowed.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 36% believe there should be a complete ban on cell phone use by drivers. Sixty-one percent (61%) believe drivers should be allowed to use hands-free devices.
December 19, 2011Generic Congressional Ballot:  Republicans 43%, Democrats 40%
Republicans hold a three-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the second week in a row, this time for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 18. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead.

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                            December 19, 201126% Have Yet To Start Their Holiday Shopping
With less than one week left until Christmas, one-in-four Americans hasn’t started holiday gift shopping yet. But quite a few more adults have finished since last week.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 39% have now finished their holiday gift shopping. That's 18% more who've wrapped up their shopping since a week ago when just 21% were done.  Most (57%) still haven't finished shopping though.
December 19, 2011Election 2012: Obama 47%, Santorum 37%
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum earns his highest level of support to date but still trails President Obama by double digits in their latest hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama with 47% of the vote to Santorum's 37%.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 16-17, 2011 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 19, 2011Just 29% Now Think U.S. Can Win War in Afghanistan
Confidence that the United States can win the war in Afghanistan has fallen to an all-time low. Most voters also are more worried that the United States will remain in Afghanistan too long but trust the military commanders on timing more than President Obama. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters now think it is still possible for the United States to win the war in Afghanistan, down from 34% a year ago at this time and down from 51% in December 2009.
(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 nationwide was conducted on December 16-17, 2011 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 19, 2011Scott  Discusses Iowa Caucuses, New Hampshire Primary and Eric Holder on Fox News
Scott Rasmussen discussed the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and embattled Attorney General Eric Holder on Fox News.
December 19, 2011A Democrat Reaches Across the Aisle on Medicare By Michael Barone
It's highly unusual in a presidential debate for two Republican candidates -- the two leading in current national polls -- to heap praise on a liberal Democratic senator. But in the Fox News debate in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday night, both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney had very good words to say for Oregon's Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden.

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                            December 19, 2011New High: 50% Worry Government Won’t Do Enough To Counter Bad Economy
Most voters continue to believe the government bailouts were a bad idea, but at the same time concern that the government won’t do enough in response to the bad economy has reached its highest level in over three years of regular surveying.
Just 39% of Likely U.S. Voters worry more that the federal government will do too much in reacting to current economic problems. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 50% now are more worried that the government will not do enough, up three points from last month.  Eleven percent (11%) are not sure.

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                            December 18, 201141% Are Concerned About Safety of Holiday Toys
‘Tis the season for many parents to be worried about how safe the toys are they give to their children, but there appears to be a lot less worry this year.
Just 41% of American Adults are even somewhat concerned about the safety of most toys being sold this holiday season, down from 51% a year ago and 48% in December 2009.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% don’t share that concern. These findings include 16% who are Very Concerned about toy safety and 12% who are Not At All Concerned.

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                            December 18, 201151% Say Economic Conditions Make Holiday Travel Less Likely
The number of adults who expect to travel away from home during the holiday season has slowly increased in recent years, but half still say the current economy makes them less likely to do so.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 21% will be traveling away from home this holiday season.
December 17, 2011Just 24% Expect Situation in Iraq To Improve In Next Six Months
As the last U.S. troops in Iraq come home, voters continue to have pessimistic views about the near future of the nation the United States has occupied for nearly nine years. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 24% of Likely U.S. Voters think the situation in Iraq will get better in the next six months.  Thirty-eight percent (38%) feel the situation there will get worse in that time, while 26% say it will stay about the same.  Eleven percent (11%) 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 12-13, 2011 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 17, 2011What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending December 17, 2011
It was a newsy week - with the Iraq war coming to a quiet close, the Obama administration’s fight against state anti-immigration efforts going to the U.S. Supreme Court and Newt Gingrich’s runaway train seeming to slow in the Republican presidential race.
The majority of U.S. voters believe Iraq is better off than when dictator Saddam Hussein was in power, but they're not so sure the war-torn country will become peaceful and democratic anytime soon. One thing for sure: If civil war breaks out in Iraq, voters strongly believe U.S. troops should not get involved.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday announced it will decide whether the law Arizona adopted last year to fight illegal immigration violates the Constitution as the U.S. Justice Department contends. But a new survey finds that most voters still support a similar immigration law for their own state. Seventy-three percent (73%) agree that government officials are not doing enough to stop illegal immigration, and 63% think a state should have the right to enforce immigration laws if it believes the federal government is not enforcing them.
Voters continue to believe strongly that the federal government’s actions are encouraging illegal immigration as the Justice Department ended the week announcing bias charges against a popular Arizona sheriff for his anti-immigration efforts.

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                            December 16, 2011Most Voters Still Feel Tax Cuts, Spending Cuts Help The Economy
Most voters continue to believe that the economy would be better off if both taxes and government spending were reduced, but if taxes are increased, voters still lean toward raising them only on the rich.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters think tax cuts help the economy. That’s in the low end of findings that have ranged from 51% to 63% in monthly surveys since July 2008.  Twenty-one percent (21%) say tax cuts hurt the economy, while 15% say they have no impact. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.
December 16, 2011Election 2012: Romney 43%, Obama 42%
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who now has edged to the front of the Republican pack in Iowa remains slightly ahead of President Obama for the second week in a row. He remains the only GOP presidential hopeful to lead Obama in more than one survey to date.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Romney earning 43% support to Obama’s 42%, meaning that the two men remain neck-and-neck as they have been in surveys for months.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 14-15, 2011 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 methodolog

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                            December 16, 201163% Oppose Return of U.S. Troops to Iraq
As U.S. troops formally leave Iraq bringing the nearly nine-year-old war to a close, the majority of U.S. voters believe that country is better off than when dictator Saddam Hussein was in power, but they're not so sure Iraq will become a peaceful, democratic nation anytime soon. If civil war breaks out in Iraq, voters strongly believe U.S. troops should not get involved.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 61% believe the Iraqi people are better off today compared to when Hussein was in power.
(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 14-15, 2011 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.