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26% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-six percent (26%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending September 7.

That's up one point from the week before. The number who say the country is heading in the right direction has been below 30% most weeks for the past year. Early last October during the partial federal government shutdown, confidence in the country’s course fell to 13%, the lowest finding in five years.

(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 telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on September 1-7, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Maine Governor: Michaud (D) 43%, LePage (R) 39%, Cutler (I) 15%

Democratic Congressman Mike Michaud now leads incumbent Republican Paul LePage by four points in Maine's hard-nosed gubernatorial race, with Independent Eliot Cutler a distant third.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Maine Voters shows Michaud picking up 43% of the vote to LePage’s 39%. Cutler draws 15% support. Just four percent (4%) are undecided at this point. (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 750 Likely Voters in Maine was conducted on September 3-4, 2014 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.

Colorado Governor: Beauprez (R) 45%, Hickenlooper (D) 44%

Incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper remains locked in a near tie with Republican challenger Bob Beauprez in Colorado's race for governor.

Beauprez now picks up 45% of the vote to Hickenlooper’s 44% in a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Colorado Voters. Four percent (4%) like some other candidate in the race, while seven percent (7%) are undecided. (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 800 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on September 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 41%, Democrats 39%

Republicans continue to lead Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending September 7 finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat.

(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 telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from September 1-7, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 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% Still Don’t Like Health Care Law

Obamacare just doesn’t seem to be winning any new friends.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters have an unfavorable opinion of the national health care law again this month, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-one percent (41%) view the law favorably. This includes 39% with a Very Unfavorable view and 19% with a Very Favorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The number of voters who say their insurance coverage has changed because of the new national health care law (37%) is at its highest level since April of last year. (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 September 5-6, 2014 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending September 6, 2014

Republicans hope they can ride voter unhappiness with Obamacare all the way to control of Congress, but how big a problem is the health care law for Democrats really?

Colorado Senate: Udall (D) 44%, Gardner (R) 42%

The Colorado Senate race remains a nail-biter going into the first debate between the two major candidates.

(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 750 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on June 25-26, 2014 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.

42% Say More Money Won't Improve Student Achievement

Voters remain strongly pro-choice when it comes to giving parents options on the kind of school they want their children to attend.

But they still give U.S. public schools mediocre grades, with just 28% of Likely U.S. Voters who rate their performance as good or excellent. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that slightly more (30%) rate the performance of the public schools as poor. This is in keeping with regular surveying for the past couple years. (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 August 4-5, 2014 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.

Louisiana Senate: Cassidy (R) 44%, Landrieu (D) 41%

Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy has edged ahead of incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu in Louisiana’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race. 

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Louisiana Voters finds Cassidy with 44% of the vote and Landrieu with 41%. Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate in the race, while six percent (6%) are undecided. 

(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 800 Likely Voters in Louisiana was conducted on September 2-3, 2014 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.

25% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-five percent (25%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending August 31.

This is up two points from the week before which tied the lowest level of confidence since last October during the temporary government shutdown. The number who say the country is heading in the right direction has been below 30% for most of this year.

(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 telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on August 25-31, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Kentucky Senate: McConnell (R) 46%, Grimes (D) 41%

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell still holds the lead in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Kentucky Voters finds McConnell with 46% support to Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes’ 41%. Seven percent (7%) like some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (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 750 Likely Voters in Kentucky was conducted on September 1-2, 2014 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.

Voters Think Congress Cheats to Get Reelected

Most voters still think Congress is doing a poor job and believe most of its members only get reelected because a fix is in.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just six percent (6%) of Likely U.S. Voters think Congress is doing a good or excellent job, unchanged from a month ago. Sixty-five percent (65%) rate its performance as poor. (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 August 28-29, 2014 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.

Rasmussen Employment Index Reaches New High in August

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence reached a new all-time high in August after falling for two months in a row.

At 101.2, worker confidence is up nearly three points from July’s 98.4 and marks the highest finding in six years of regular tracking. The index reached its previous high in May at 100.1. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 last October but gained steadily after that. It stood at 86.5 in August of last year.

Generally speaking, an increase in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government report on job creation will be stronger than the prior month’s reports.

Obama’s Full-Month Approval Remains at 2014 Low

When tracking President Obama’s job approval  on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.  

The president’s monthly job approval rating held steady at 46% in August for the second month in a row and remains his lowest monthly approval rating this year. It's up just a point from his two-year low of 45% reached in November during the troubled rollout period for the new national health care law. Obama’s approval rating hit a year-to-date high of 49% in February and May.

(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.

Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 15,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 41%, Democrats 40%

It’s still a one-point race on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending August 31 finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat.

(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 telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from August 25-31, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 

39% of Consumers, 57% of Investors Rate Personal Finances Postively

The Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures consumer confidence on a daily basis, dipped less than a point on Monday to 109. Consumer confidence is still up six points from a week ago, one point from a month ago and five points from three months ago.

The Rasmussen Investor Index held relatively steady on Monday at 129.1, just shy of the 2014 high. Investor confidence is up seven points from a week ago, five points from a month ago and eight points from three months ago.

Detailed supplemental information, including a daily history and month-by-month trend data, is available for Platinum Members. 

(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.

Voters Favor Piece-by-Piece Changes in Obamacare Over Repeal

Nearly half of voters now think Congress should go through the new national health care law to fine tune it rather than repeal it entirely, but most feel repeal is likely if Republicans take charge of Congress.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of Likely U.S. Voters still want Congress to repeal Obamacare in its entirety and start over again. But 47% think Congress should go through the law piece by piece and improve it. Only 12% want to leave the law as is. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The number of voters who say their insurance coverage has changed because of the new national health care law (37%) is at its highest level since April of last year. (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 August 30-31, 2014 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.

Arizona Governor: Ducey (R) 40%, DuVal (D) 40%

The race to be Arizona’s next governor is a dead heat.

Arizona is rated a Toss-Up on the Rasmussen Reports 2014 Gubernatorial Scorecard. The race will determine the successor to Republican Jan Brewer who is term-limited. (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 850 Likely Voters in Arizona was conducted on August 27-28 2014 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls: Week of August 30

We’re off to the races. In nine weeks, America will elect a new Congress. Will it be more of the same, or will there be a new sheriff in town?

Voters Won't Back Their Global Warming Worries With Cash

Most voters continue to consider global warming a serious problem but remain unwilling to pay much to do anything about it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely Voters consider global warming at least a somewhat serious problem. That's the lowest level of concern since February of last year but still generally consistent with findings in regular surveys since 2009. Thirty-six percent (36%) don't share that concern. The latest findings include 38% who regard global warming as a Very Serious problem and 16% who say it’s Not At All Serious. (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 Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 26-27, 2014 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.