Business

Voters Want Taxes Simpler but Not Flat

Support is strong for replacing the entire income tax code with something simpler with lower rates. Many believe a reformed tax code would help the economy, but a flat tax is not what most voters want to see.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 77% think it’s at least somewhat important to replace the entire federal tax code with something simpler. Only 17% say it’s not important, while five percent (5%) are not sure. Those figures include 44% who say it’s Very Important and just four percent (4%) who say it’s Not at All Important.

(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 U.S. Likely Voters each were conducted on November 13-14, 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.

90% Say They're Paying More For Groceries Compared To A Year Ago

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke insists that the Federal Reserve is keeping inflation down, but Americans overwhelmingly say they are paying more for groceries these days and expect to pay even more in a year's time.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. Adults shows that 81% are at least somewhat concerned about inflation, including 47% who are Very Concerned. 

Confidence in U.S. Banks Dips to New Low

For the second straight month, Americans are less confident than ever in the nation’s banking industry.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. Adults shows that just 34% are at least somewhat confident in the stability of the U.S. banking industry, including only five percent (5%) who are Very Confident.

81% Express Concern That Europe’s Financial Problems Will Drag Down U.S. Economy

Most Americans still expect at least one of the financially troubled countries in Europe to default on its debt and worry that Europe’s bad economy will ultimately have a major negative impact on the United States.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults believe it is at least somewhat likely that one of the economically troubled European countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal or Spain will default on its debt in the next five years, but that’s down from 73% a month ago.

(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 Americans nationwide was conducted on November 10-11, 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.

60% Favor Considering Spending Cuts in Every Government Program

Most Americans continue to believe everything should be on the table when it comes to federal spending cuts.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely Voters say thoughtful spending cuts should be considered in every program of the federal government as the nation searches for solutions to the federal budget crises.

24% Think Stimulus Plan Reduced Unemployment, 30% Say It Added to Problem

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists that the $787 billion stimulus plan passed in early 2009 kept the national unemployment rate from being much worse than it is, but Americans believe overwhelmingly that the stimulus did not help the economy and did not reduce unemployment.

36% of Workers Expect To Make More Money Next Year

A plurality of American workers believes they’ll earn about the same amount of money a year from today, and most continue to classify themselves as middle class.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Employed Adults shows that 36% say they’ll be earning more money a year from today, while 12% think they’ll be earning less. Forty-five percent (45%) expect to be earning about the same amount of money a year from now. (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 563 Employed Adults was conducted on November 4-5, 2011 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.

New Low: 35% of Workers Plan on Staying At Current Company for More Than Five Years

Though a plurality of American workers still believes staying at their current company offers the best opportunity for career advancement, fewer plan on staying at that company for the long term.

41% Concerned Tax Reform Proposals Will Not Generate Enough Money

Several Republican presidential hopefuls are proposing major tax reform initiatives, but voters worry about how much money those proposals will generate.

Americans Raise The Bar On How Much Income Makes You Wealthy

You need to earn a little bit more these days for your fellow Americans to regard you as “wealthy.”

21% Support Paying Higher Taxes To Ensure All Pension Benefits for State Workers

Though most Americans nationwide don’t believe their state will have to raise taxes on the middle class to pay all promised pension benefits to state workers, most would rather see a reduction in those benefits than pay higher taxes.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows, when given the choice, 56% would rather reduce promised benefits for public employees than pay higher taxes to ensure that all promised benefits are paid. Twenty-one percent (21%) would rather pay higher taxes than reduce public employee benefits. Another 23% aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

41% Favor 10% Pay Cuts for State Workers, 42% Oppose

Though three out of four Americans nationwide acknowledge that their state is in a budget crisis, they are evenly divided when it comes to cutting the salaries of state workers.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 41% favor a 10% pay cut for all state employees in order to help reduce spending in their state. Forty-two percent (42%) are opposed to the idea while 17% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

October Employment Index Shows Less Confidence Among Workers

The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures workers’ perceptions of the labor market each month, slipped two points in October to 71.7.

The Employment Index is still up two points from August’ recent low of 69.3, but worker confidence is down five points from the beginning of 2011 and six points from last October. Generally speaking, a decrease in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government reports on job creation will be worse than prior months.

(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 8,501 working Americans was conducted in October 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .

Only 22% Support Giving States $35 Billion to Prevent Teacher, First Responder Layoffs

President Obama is pushing Congress to pass his plan to give $35 billion to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers and first responders such as firemen, policemen and rescue squad workers. But most Americans think state and local governments should tighten their financial belts instead.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Americans think the federal government should give states and localities $35 billion to prevent such layoffs. Nearly three times as many adults (64%) believe that the best way for state and local governments to avoid these layoffs is to cut back on other spending. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

61% Favor Simpler Tax Code, But Have Doubts About Flat Tax Plans

Voters want a simpler and fairer tax system but give generally negative reviews to flat tax proposals.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Likely U.S. Voters agree, however, that it’s a good idea to get rid of the existing income tax code and replace it with something simpler. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 16% disagree with the idea of a simpler tax code, while 23% are not sure.

Public Has Mixed Views of Return to Gold Standard

An increasing number of Republican presidential candidates are now talking about returning the U.S. monetary system to the gold standard, but voters send mixed signals about such a move. Most like the idea, though, when they’re told it would reduce government control of the economy.

34% Have Favorable Opinion of the Fed

Most voters don’t like the Federal Reserve, the nation’s central banking system, which at least one presidential candidate would like to abolish.

New High: 80% Say Now Isn’t Time To Sell Home

Though the government reported a modest climb in housing starts in September, the number of adults nationwide who say now is not the time to sell a home has reached an all-time high.

34% Say Their Home Is Worth Less Than What They Still Owe

One-out-of three U.S. homeowners continue to say their home is worth less than what they owe on it.

Confidence in Future Home Values Remains Shaky

Homeowners continue to worry about the short- and long-term value of their homes, with findings still below what they were two years ago.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. homeowners shows that just 16% believe their home’s value will go up over the next year. That’s up slightly from 13% in September and August and is the highest level of confidence since June. Still, this finding was above 20% for much of 2009.