Lifestyle

43% Blame Spike in Food Stamp Recipients on Easier Government Rules

Americans now blame looser government eligibility requirements nearly as much as the bad economy for the big jump in people on food stamps. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of American Adults still believe the large increase in the number of people currently receiving food stamps is primarily due to tough economic times. But nearly as many (43%) now think the spike in food stamp recipients is chiefly because government rules have made it easier to get food stamps. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on July 13-14, 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. 

53% Believe Availability of Student Loans Has Driven Up College Tuitions

Last week the U.S. Senate was unable to pass a bill that would have returned subsidized Stafford Loans for low- and middle-income college students to a lower interest rate that expired July 1. But most Americans think lower tuitions are better for college students than easier access to student loans, and they blame those loans for pushing up college costs.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 81% of American Adults believe that lowering tuition costs would do more to help college students than giving them easier access to student loans. Just nine percent (9%) take the opposite view and think easing access to loans would be more helpful. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 13-14, 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.

56% Rarely or Never Eat Fast Food

Most Americans say they don’t eat fast food during a typical week, but those that do say it’s mostly about convenience.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of American Adults say they rarely or never eat a meal from a fast food restaurant during a typical week, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-three percent (43%) say they eat fast food at least once a week, with 16% who say they eat it more than once a week. Very few adults (1%), though, say they eat fast food meals more than three times a week. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 9-10, 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. 

58% Eat At A Restaurant At Least Once A Week

Most Americans continue to eat out at least one time each week.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of American Adults now say they are dining out at least once a week, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s virtually unchanged from January and includes 40% who say they typically go out to a restaurant once a week, 14% who go out two or three times a week and four percent (4%) who dine out more than three times a week. Thirty-nine percent (39%), on the other hand, rarely or never eat at a restaurant. (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 Adults was conducted on July 9-10, 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. 

40% Think Routine Blood Testing Via Internet or Apps Likely in Next 10 Years

A sizable number of Americans think new technologies will make it possible in the next 10 years for most people to do routine blood tests at home rather than going to a doctor's office. Half think this will be a change for the better. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 40% of Americans Adults believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Americans within the next 10 years will be able to do routine blood tests every day and use the Internet or smart phone apps to send the results to doctors. Fifty-one percent (51%) see this as unlikely. This includes 10% who think this at-home testing is Very Likely in the next 10 years and 13% who say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 5-6, 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.

81% Visit Doctor Once a Year or More

Most Americans visit a doctor at least once a year, and the majority of them spend 30 minutes or more there.

A new Rasmussen Reports national survey shows that 81% of Americans see a doctor at least once a year, including 54% who visit more than once a year. Eleven percent (11%) visit the doctor every month, while another two percent (2%) go several times a month. Just 16% rarely or never go to a doctor. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 5-6, 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.

Most Americans Think Campus Groups Can Set Requirements For Their Officers

A Christian fellowship group at Tufts University in Boston has been downgraded on campus for requiring its leaders to share its conservative Christian beliefs including the belief that sex should only take place within heterosexual marriage. 

But 62% of American Adults believe that a Christian organization on a college campus should be allowed to require that all officers of the club be Christian, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national survey. Twenty-seven percent (27%) don’t think these groups should be allowed to make such a requirement, while 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 7-8, 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 It’s Possible For Americans to Have Honest Discussion About Race

Race relations in the United States have been increasingly present in the news cycle lately with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the trial of George Zimmerman, but most think Americans of different races can have a healthy dialogue on racially-charged issues.  Americans also agree overwhelmingly that charges of racism don't apply just to whites.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 64% of American Adults believe it is possible for people of different races in America to have an honest and open discussion about race issues. Twenty percent (20%) say this type of discussion is not possible. Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 1-2, 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% Say Independence Day One Of Nation’s Most Important Holidays

Americans continue to see the Fourth of July as one of the nation’s most important holidays.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of adults now regard Independence Day that way, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  Only four percent (4%) look at the Fourth of July as one of the least important holidays, while 33% say it’s somewhere in between.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

82% Know What Independence Day Celebrates

Most Americans are aware that the Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but far fewer recognize one of the key tenets of that foundational document.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 82% of American Adults know that the Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but eight percent (8%) think it commemorates the ratification of the U.S. Constitution instead. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

That’s an improvement from last year when only 74% recognized what Independence Day celebrates.

Americans See George Washington As Greatest Founding Father

George Washington is back on top as the greatest Founding Father.  But Americans are now almost evenly divided on one of the key principles in the Pledge of Allegiance.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of American Adults consider the first president of the United States the greatest Founding Father. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say Thomas Jefferson is the greatest, while 14% say the same of Benjamin Franklin.  Only five percent (5%) think that title belongs to John Adams, and three percent (3%) say James Madison.  Fourteen percent (14%) 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 June 23-24, 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.

More Americans View Blacks As Racist Than Whites, Hispanics

Americans consider blacks more likely to be racist than whites and Hispanics in this country.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of American Adults think most black Americans are racist, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 15% consider most white Americans racist, while 18% say the same of most Hispanic Americans. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 1-2, 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 26% Give U.S. Public Schools Positive Marks

Most voters still don't think very positively about the nation's public schools and continue to believe political correctness trumps accuracy in America's textbooks.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 26% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the performance of public schools in America today as good or excellent.  Thirty-four percent (34%) rate public education as poor.  (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 26-27, 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.

70% Say Americans Have More Freedom Than People in Other Countries

Despite the national debate over government surveillance and privacy, Americans still believe they have more freedom than people in other countries. Seventy percent (70%) of Adults nationwide believe that Americans have more freedom than people in other countries, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey. Just 12% believe Americans have less freedom, while 13% say the level of freedom is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 21-22, 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.

40% Believe U.S. Is Mankind’s Last Best Hope, 36% Disagree

Most Americans are still proud of their country and its history, but they aren’t convinced that the nation still lives up to the greatness former President Reagan famously declared.

Just 40% of American Adults now view the United States as "the last best hope of mankind," according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-six percent (36%) don’t view America this way, while 24% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 21-22, 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 Are Married to Jobs As Much As to Spouses

Americans have surprisingly similar overall views of their relationship with their spouse and relations with their co-workers. 

Ninety-one percent (91%) of married Americans grade their relationship with their wife or husband as good or excellent, Rasmussen Reports national telephone polling finds. 

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57% Think Churches Essential to Healthy Communities

Most Americans believe churches are an essential part of a healthy community.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 34% of American Adults believe it is possible to have a healthy community with absolutely no churches or religious presence. Fifty-seven percent (57%) disagree and say it is not possible to have a healthy community without churches. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 11-12, 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% Believe Supreme Court Too Hostile Towards Religion, 15% Too Friendly

Throughout history, the relationship between church and state has been a major issue for societies. In the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but precisely what that means has been subject to ongoing debate.

64% Think Business Owners Should Be Able to Set Dress Codes for Customers

In towns all over the country, business owners, town officials and even judges are setting new dress code rules. A Tennessee judge has set conservative guidelines for female lawyers in the courtroom; banks in a Florida town have banned hats, hoods and sunglasses in an attempt to thwart robberies, and a New Jersey shore town has banned overly saggy pants on its boardwalk. 

Most American Adults (64%) agree that business owners should be allowed to establish dress codes for people who enter their facility, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 23% disagree. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

(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 June 11-12, 2013 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.

Fewer Vacationers Had to Cut Back on Spending This Year

A good sign for the economy is fewer adults say they've had to cut back on vacation spending this year.

A new Rasmussen reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of American Adults are planning a summer vacation this year. Fifty percent (50%) are not, but nine percent (9%) aren’t sure yet. (To see question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on May 30-31, 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.