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48% See Government As More Concerned With Making Wall Street Firms Profitable

In the wake of economic crises in Cyprus and other European nations like Greece, Ireland and Italy, nearly half of American Adults think the federal government puts more focus on making Wall Street profitable than on making sure the United States financial system works well for all Americans.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults think the federal government is more concerned with making Wall Street firms profitable, while just 27% think they are more concerned with making sure the U.S. financial system works well for all Americans. One-in-four (25%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 27-28, 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. 

Just 36% Expect Stronger Economy in Five Years

Long-term economic confidence continues to fall and is now at its lowest level yet.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 36% of American Adults think the U.S. economy will be stronger five years from today. Just as many (36%) think it will be weaker. Eleven percent (11%) believe the nation’s economy will be about the same in five years, but another 17% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 31-April 1, 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.

Just 9% Say U.S. Has World’s Best Tax System

Americans continue to believe strongly that the United States does not have the world's best tax system, perhaps in part because half still think they are paying more than their fair share to Uncle Sam.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just nine percent (9%) of American Adults believe the United States has the best tax system in the world. Sixty-four percent (64%) disagree, and another 27% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on March 29-30, 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.

59% Say Another 2008 Financial Meltdown Likely

While confidence in the U.S. banking industry has rebounded slightly, most Americans fear the financial industry is heading towards another downturn like the one in 2008.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of American Adults think it’s at least somewhat likely that the United States will soon face another financial industry meltdown similar to the 2008 crisis.  Thirty percent (30%) think this is unlikely to occur.  These figures include 26% who feel another Great Recession is Very Likely, compared to four percent (4%) who feel it’s Not At All Likely.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 27-28, 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.

46% Think Feds Might Try To Tax Bank Accounts Like Cyprus

Americans don’t believe the federal government has the constitutional authority to tax bank deposits as they did in Cyprus, but a plurality worries they might try it anyhow.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of American Adults think it’s at least somewhat likely that the U.S. government might try to tax money in individual bank accounts. Nearly as many (41%), however, view this as unlikely to occur Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 27-28, 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.

61% Have Filed Their Income Taxes

With two weeks until the April 15 deadline, 61% of American Adults say they have filed their federal income taxes, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  That’s a 23-point jump from a month ago and nearly identical to findings a year ago at this time.

Twenty-five percent (25%) more plan to file by April 15, while seven percent (7%) intend to get an extension. Another seven percent (7%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 March 29-30, 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.

66% Oppose Cyprus Bailout Plan to Tax Bank Deposits

Most Americans don’t approve of the decision to tax bank accounts as part of a bank bailout in Cyprus but think it’s likely other European countries will resort to similar plans to fight their massive deficit problems.

24% Think Poverty Very Severe in U.S.

Most Americans continue to see poverty as a problem in the United States, but few actually claim they are living in poverty.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of American Adults think poverty is at least somewhat severe in this country. That's down nine points from 80% in September but includes 24% who say it is Very Severe.  Twenty-three percent (23%) think poverty in the United States is not very or Not at All Severe.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 25-26, 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.

Americans Favor Work Over Welfare As Response to Poverty

Americans overwhelmingly agree that the best way to stay out of poverty is to work and like the idea of shifting government money spent on welfare programs to jobs for the poor.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 80% of American Adults agree with the statement, “Work is the best solution for poverty.” Only nine percent (9%) disagree, while 11% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on March 25-26, 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.

64% Think Too Many Are Dependent on Government Aid

Americans continue to believe that too many of their fellow citizens are financially dependent on the government, but they’re less critical of programs to help the poor.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults think there are too many Americans dependent on the government for financial aid. Only eight percent (8%) believe not enough Americans are dependent on this aid, while 17% feel the level of dependency is about right. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on March 25-26, 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.

45% Say Sequester Didn’t Cut Government Spending Enough

Just over three weeks after the sequester cuts in the growth of federal spending kicked in, voters feel a bit more strongly that they didn’t cut deep enough.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 22% of Likely U.S. Voters still think the sequester cut the projected growth in spending too much. But twice as many (45%) disagree and think it didn’t cut enough. Fourteen percent (14%) feel the amount cut was about right. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 24-25, 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.

12% Say Sequester Cuts Have Hurt Them in a Major Way

Just over half of U.S. voters now say the March 1 sequester cuts in the growth of federal government spending have had no impact on their lives.

Only 12% say the sequester cuts have had a major impact on them personally. Despite predictions that the sequester impact would grow over time, there’s no indication of that happening yet. The number experiencing a major impact is basically unchanged from the weekend the sequester first took effect. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 24-25, 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.

55% Think Government Should Let ‘Too Big To Fail’ Banks Go Bust

Most Americans continue to believe the government should let the "too big to fail" banks bottom out, but that belief is down significantly from a year ago.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of American Adults think the government should let the largest banks and finance companies go out of business if they can no longer meet their obligations. Twenty-five percent (25%) think the government should find a way to keep these banks in business, while another 21% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on March 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.

New High: 28% Say Now’s a Good Time to Sell A House

More Americans than ever believe now is a good time to sell a house, although most still disagree.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 28% of American Adults think now is a good time for someone in their area to sell a home. That's up six points from 22% a month ago and is the highest finding in over four years of regular tracking. But 52% don't share that assessment, and another 21% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 17-18, 2013 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.

Plurality Believes Federal Deposit Insurance Limits Should Be Less than $250,000

The federal government provides deposit insurance for regulated banks up to a limit of $250,000 per account per bank.  Nine-out-of-ten American Adults (87%) support this federal policy. However, 34% believe the amount insured should be less than $250,000. Twenty-two percent (22%) take the opposite view and believe it should be higher. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% believe the current limits are about right.

50% Favor Breaking Up Nation’s Largest Banks

A Senate report released this month revealed that the nation’s largest bank, JP Morgan Chase, manipulated and withheld key information during its record trading losses last year, prompting even stronger belief that the big banks haven’t learned their lesson after receiving government bailouts in 2008. Most Americans want to end government subsidies for these ‘too big to fail’ institutions and half want to see those megabanks broken up.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 50% of U.S. Adults favor a plan to break up the 12 megabanks, which currently control about 69% of the banking industry. Twenty-three percent (23%) oppose breaking up the largest banks, while another 27% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on March 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.

41% Rather Have Deficit with Lower Taxes, Spending

Most voters think it is important to balance the federal budget but not if it means higher levels of taxes and government spending.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 36% of Likely Voters would rather have a balanced budget with higher levels of taxes and spending than a deficit with lower levels of taxes and spending. Forty-one percent (41%) prefer a deficit with lower taxes and less spending, while another 23% are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 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.

65% Say Struggling Homeowners Should Downsize

Most Americans continue to believe homeowners who go "underwater" on their mortgage should sell their home and buy a cheaper one. But most homeowners continue to say they haven’t missed or been late on a payment recently and don’t expect to be late in the near future.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 65% of American Adults believe that if someone can’t afford to make increased mortgage payments, he or she should sell their home and buy a less expensive one. Twenty-one percent (21%) believe the government should assist that person in making those payments. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on March 17-18, 2013 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.

52% Say Home Worth More Than What They Owe

While short-term confidence about home values is down from last month’s high , the number of homeowners who say their home is worth more than what they still owe on it is back over 50%. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 30% of U.S. Homeowners expect their home’s value to go up over the next year. Fifteen percent (15%) expect the value to go down, while 51% say their home’s value will stay about the same over the next year. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 646 Homeowners nationwide was conducted on March 17-18, 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.

7% Think Balanced Budget Very Likely In Next 10 Years

Voters strongly believe in the importance of a balanced budget, but most don’t expect the federal budget to be balanced in the next 10 years despite competing deficit-cutting plans now before Congress.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 87% of Likely U.S. Voters consider it at least somewhat important to balance the federal budget. This includes 63% who view it as Very Important. Only 10% feel it’s not very or Not At All Important to balance the budget. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 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.