Business

51% View Facebook Unfavorably; 48% Question IPO Process

The uproar over Facebook’s first public stock offering has soured perceptions of the social networking service, perhaps in part because of suspicions about the fairness of the stock selling process itself.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of American Adults share at least a somewhat favorable view of Facebook, while 51% regard it at least somewhat unfavorably. The latter figure is up seven points from 44% in March. The new findings include just eight percent (8%) with a Very Favorable opinion of the social media service and 17% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on May 31-June 1, 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.

43% Are Very Worried Federal Government Will Run Out of Cash

More Americans than ever are expressing strong concern that the federal government will run out of money, even though they believe most politicians want the government to amass even more money than it has now.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 64% are at least somewhat worried that the government will run out of money, while 31% are not worried. These findings include 43% who are Very Worried about this possibility and 10% who are Not At All Worried. (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 May 29-30, 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.

57% Think Big Banks Have Too Much Influence Over Fed

Most voters believe that big banks have too much influence over the Federal Reserve and think those who can benefit from its actions should be barred from serving on the Federal Reserve Board.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters believe big banks and other major financial institutions have too much insider influence over the actions of the Federal Reserve. Only 16% disagree, with 27% more who are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

38% View Federal Reserve Favorably, 49% Do Not

Reviews for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and the Fed itself have improved from late last year, but both remain more disliked than liked.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 36% view Bernanke at least somewhat favorably, while 41% view him unfavorably. These findings include seven percent (7%) who share a Very Favorable opinion of the Fed chairman and 18% with a Very Unfavorable one. Twenty-two percent (22%) of voters don’t offer any opinion of Bernanke. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

53% Say Tax Cuts Help the Economy

Most voters continue to believe tax cuts are good for the economy and that more government spending has a negative impact. 

Fifty-three percent (53%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say tax cuts help the economy, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey.  Twenty-two percent (22%) say tax cuts hurt the economy, while 13% say they have no impact.  Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 18-19, 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.

63% Say Those Who Can’t Afford Mortgage Payments Should Sell Home

Most Americans continue to believe that homeowners who cannot afford their mortgage payments should buy something cheaper rather than turn to the government for a bailout.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Adults think that if someone can't meet their increased mortgage payments, the government should assist them. Sixty-three percent (63%) say they should sell their home instead and buy a less expensive one. That's down six points from March’s high of 69%, but more in line with regular surveys over the past two years. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure which course is better. (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 May 15-16, 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.

Radio Updates: Most Voters Favor Letting States Overrule FDA

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

Radio Update: Housing Market Collapse Highlights Changes in U.S. Economy

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

73% Say Men, Women Earn Equal Pay At Their Workplace

Most working Americans believe their workplace is free of gender discrimination and don’t know anyone who’s been a victim of it. But women continue to be more skeptical than men. 

Nineteen percent (19%) of all employed Americans say they personally know someone who has been denied a job, a promotion or increased pay because of their gender, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But 73% don’t know anyone who falls in that category. That finding shows little change from November 2010. (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 558 Employed Adults was conducted on May 17-18, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Radio Update: There's a Gender Gap on Questions of Equal Pay for Equal Work

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

47% See Buying A Home As Family’s Best Investment

The number of Americans who view buying a home as a family’s best investment once again has fallen below 50%.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. Adults shows that just 47% believe buying a home is the best investment a family can make, a new low for the year. Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree with that assessment, while another 25% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on May 15-16, 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.

51% Predict U.S. Government Will Go Bankrupt Before Budget Is Balanced

Just over half of U.S. voters are still skeptical that their elected officials will get the federal budget under control before it’s too late. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely Voters believe the federal government will go bankrupt and be unable to pay its debt before the federal budget is balanced. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree and think it's more likely that the federal budget will be balanced first. Thirteen percent (13%) 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 May 14-15, 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.

47% Expect Home’s Value To Go Up Over Next Five Years

New reports show home foreclosures dipped in April, but homeowner sentiments about the future of their homes' values remain fairly steady this month. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. Homeowners shows that 20% believe their home’s value will go up over the next year. Twenty-four percent (24%) expect their home’s value to go down over the next year, while a majority (55%) predicts values will stay about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 724 Adult Homeowners was conducted on May 15-16, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Radio Update: Americans Hate Cozy Relationship Between Bankers and Government

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

71% Say Government Hasn’t Been Tough Enough On Wall Street

With JPMorgan Chase's enormous recent trading losses again raising questions about government oversight of the financial industry, more Americans than ever feel the government has not done enough to hunt down potential criminal activity on Wall Street.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 14% of American Adults now believe the federal government has been aggressive enough in pursuing possible criminal behavior by major Wall Street bankers. Seventy-one percent (71%) disagree and think the government has not been aggressive enough. That's up from 64% last May.  Another 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 American Adults nationwide was conducted on May 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.

Radio Update: Most Skeptical About Fed's Ability to Control Inflation

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

New High: 40% Owe Less Money Than They Did A Year Ago

More Americans than ever now say they're less in debt than they were this time last year, but a plurality still expects higher interest rates in the near future.

Forty percent (40%) of adults now say they owe less money than they did a year ago, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  That's up seven points from last month and is the highest finding since tracking on the question began in April 2009. 

Twenty-four percent (24%) still say they owe more money than a year ago, and one-in-three (32%) owe about as much as they did this time last year. These numbers are generally in line with findings for the past few years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

88% Say They're Paying More for Groceries Than A Year Ago

Americans still say overwhelmingly that they are paying more for groceries than they were year ago which helps explain why a majority continues to lack confidence in the Federal Reserve Board’s ability to keep inflation down. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 88% of American Adults report paying more for groceries compared to a year ago, a finding that has ranged from 75% to 93% since April 2009. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

71% Say Government Should Let Big Troubled Banks Fail

With JPMorgan Chase Bank, one of the nation’s biggest financial institutions, under scrutiny for its recent $2 billion in trading losses, Americans feel more strongly than ever that no bank is “too big to fail.”

Seventy-one percent (71%) say the government should let troubled banks, even ones that big, go out of business rather than find a way to keep them going, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults. That’s up 15 points from 56% in July 2010.

Just 19% think that if some of the largest banks in the country reach a point where they can no longer meet their obligations, the government should find a way to keep them in business. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on May 14, 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.

Radio Update: JP Morgan Loses Big, Americans Want The Right People to Pay

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.