Politics

44% Give Obama Positive Marks on Gun Control

President Obama has announced that gun control and immigration will be two of his top priorities this year, and voters nationwide give the president mixed reviews in both areas. But as in most issues involving Obama, there's a wide partisan opinion gap.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 39% rate the president’s handling of immigration issues as good or excellent. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say he is doing a poor job in this area. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

59% Favor Full Combat Roles for Women

Most voters think women in the military should be able to fight in combat just like men do. But they still believe overwhelmingly that women need to pass the same physical tests as men if they’re in special forces like the Green Berets and Navy SEALs.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters now feel that women in the military should be allowed to fight on the front lines and perform all the combat roles that men do. That’s up five points from February of last year when we first asked the question. Thirty-two percent (32%) disagree and oppose full combat roles for women. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

36% Say They Are Pro-Life, 54% Pro-Choice

Forty years after the landmark Roe vs. Wade case legalizing abortion in the United States, fewer voters than ever consider themselves pro-life, while those who say they are pro-choice remains at an all-time high.

42% Give Obama Positive Marks for Job Creation

Voters give President Obama mixed marks in the areas of job creation and small business, but predictably there's wide partisan disagreement.

59% Still Favor Building the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline

Most voters continue to favor construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and still think building the oil pipeline from western Canada to Texas will be good for the U.S. economy. But voters express more uncertainty about the environmental impact of the pipeline than they did in earlier surveys.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters favor building the pipeline, while 28% are opposed. This includes 34% who Strongly Favor the pipeline and 10% who Strongly Oppose it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

68% Support Five-Year Lobbying Ban for Congress

It’s known as Washington’s “revolving door”:  When members of Congress lose their seat or resign, many end up still working the halls of Capitol Hill but doing it as lobbyists.

But 68% of Likely U.S. Voters believe members of Congress should be banned from lobbying for five years after they leave office. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 14% disagree, while 17% more are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

79% Expect A Woman President In Next 25 Years

Some think it's already long overdue, but voters strongly believe that it won’t be long before this country has a woman president.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 79% of Likely U.S. Voters think a woman will be elected president of the United States in the next 25 years. Only eight percent (8%) disagree. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 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.

36% View Marco Rubio Favorably

Immigration reform will be a major focus of both parties in Washington this year, and voters still have mixed feelings about the senator leading the charge on the issue from the Republican side. Meanwhile, a prominent GOP figure on federal budget matters is viewed less favorably than before his unsuccessful bid for the vice presidency.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 36% of Likely Voters view Florida Senator Marco Rubio favorably, including 16% who view him Very Favorably. Thirty-two percent (32%) share an unfavorable opinion of the senator, including 12% with a Very Unfavorable one. Another 32% are undecided about the man many see as a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 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% Favor Background Checks for Existing Gun Owners

Americans strongly believe that it was wrong for a suburban New York newspaper to publish the names and addresses of legitimate gun owners, but most also favor background checks for existing gun owners to determine whether they should keep their firearm.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 17% of American Adults feel it was appropriate for the newspaper to publish the names and addresses of all residents in its area who have legal gun permits. Seventy-four percent (74%) think it was not appropriate for the newspaper to print that information. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 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.

81% Think Congress Should Take Big Pay Cut Until Budget is Balanced

Voters overwhelmingly believe members of Congress should take a pay cut until the federal budget is balanced, and a plurality thinks the president should do the same. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of Likely U.S. Voters feel members of Congress should take a 25% pay cut until the federal budget is balanced. Only 12% disagree.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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% Think U.S. President Most Powerful Person in the World, 44% Disagree

As President Obama formally begins his second term today, voters are almost evenly divided as to whether or not the president of the United States is the most powerful person in the world, but half think he has the right amount of power.

Twenty-one percent (21%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the U.S. president doesn’t have enough power, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. A slightly larger number (28%) think the president has too much power. A plurality (47%) rates his level of power as about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 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.

57% Think Enforcing Current Gun Laws More Important Than Creating New Laws

Most Americans feel it is more important for the government to enforce existing gun control laws than to create new ones. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 32% of American Adults believe creation of new gun control laws is more important. Fifty-seven percent (57%) think more emphasis should be put on stricter enforcement of existing gun control laws. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 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% See Gun Rights As Protection Against Tyranny

Two-out-of-three Americans recognize that their constitutional right to own a gun was intended to ensure their freedom.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of American Adults think the purpose of the Second Amendment is to make sure that people are able to protect themselves from tyranny. Only 17% disagree, while another 18% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 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.

49% Think U.S. Should Withdraw Troops from Europe

As Congress and the president consider possible cuts in defense spending, half (49%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should withdraw its troops from Western Europe.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 31% disagree. One-in-five (20%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 13-14, 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.

58% Plan to Watch At Least Some of Obama Inauguration Live

Nearly six-out-of-10 voters plan to watch at least some of President Obama’s second inauguration live on Monday, but that’s a smaller crowd than planned to tune in four years ago.

The 58% of Likely U.S. Voters who plan to watch on Monday include 18% who intend to watch all of the inauguration, 14% who’ll watch most of it and 26% who’ll watch at least some. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% do not plan to watch any of the president’s second inauguration live. Just two percent (2%) haven’t made up their minds yet. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 15-16, 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% Still Think Neither Party Represents the American People

Most voters think the Democratic Party has an agenda for the future, and the Republican Party does not. But the majority also still thinks neither party represents the American people.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters think the Democratic Party has a plan for where it wants to take the nation. Just 28% disagree, and 17% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.

40% Think U.S. Spends Too Much on National Security

With government spending cuts on the negotiating table, more voters than ever believe the United States spends too much on defense.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters now think America spends too much on the military and national security. Twenty-two percent (22%) disagree and feel the country does not spend enough in this area. Thirty-two percent (32%) believe the amount spent on defense is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.

44% Favor Limits on Violent Movies and Video Games

As Americans continue to process last month’s school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, they are now evenly divided when asked if the United States needs to place limits on violent movies and video games.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 44% favor such limits, while 45% are opposed. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 10-11, 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.

63% of GOP Voters Think Republicans in Congress Out of Touch

Most GOP voters continue to believe that congressional Republicans are out of touch with the party base, while Democrats are happier than ever with how their team is performing in Washington, DC.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of Likely Republican Voters believe Republicans in Congress have done a good job representing their party’s values over the past several years. Sixty-three percent (63%) of GOP voters think congressional Republicans have lost touch with the party’s base throughout the nation. (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 January 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.

52% Think It's Possible To Watch Mentally Ill Closer Without Violating Their Rights

Following last month's elementary school massacre, Americans strongly support more action to identify the mentally ill, and most think those individuals can be kept under stricter observation without their personal freedoms being violated. Americans are closely divided over whether families or medical professionals are most responsible for that observation.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 81% of American Adults think the United States needs to take more action to identify and treat mental health issues. Only 12% don’t think more action is necessary. (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 January 10-11, 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.