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Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 44%, Republicans 39%

Democrats hold a five-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending January 20, 2013.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Republican instead.

(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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from January 14-20, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point 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 January 19, 2013

So what’s the state of the union as President Obama prepares for the beginning of his second term on Monday?

Nearly six-out-of-10 voters plan to watch at least some of Obama's second inauguration live on Monday, but that’s a smaller crowd than planned to tune in four years ago. Most Democrats and unaffiliated voters intend to watch at least some of the ceremony; 61% of Republicans don’t plan to watch any at all.

Still, over 50% of all likely voters approve of the job Obama is doing as he continues to earn some of the highest job approval ratings of his presidency.

49% Are Not Willing To Pay More to Fight Global Warming

Most voters still consider global warming a serious problem, but less than half are willing to pay any more in taxes or higher utility bills to do something about it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters consider global warming to be at least a somewhat serious problem, while just 34% regard it as not serious. This includes 37% who view global warming as a Very Serious problem and 14% who describe it as Not At All Serious. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 5, 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.

49% Are Not Willing To Pay More to Fight Global Warming

Most voters still consider global warming a serious problem, but less than half are willing to pay any more in taxes or higher utility bills to do something about it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters consider global warming to be at least a somewhat serious problem, while just 34% regard it as not serious. This includes 37% who view global warming as a Very Serious problem and 14% who describe it as Not At All Serious. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 5, 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.

36% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Thirty-six percent (36%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, January 13.

The latest finding is up three points from the previous week but is still down seven points from 43% the week prior to President Obama’s reelection, the highest level measured in over five years of weekly tracking. Only 24% said the country was heading in the right direction this time 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 national telephone survey of 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen January 7-13, 2013. 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 43%, Republicans 37%

Democrats hold a six-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the second week in a row, this time for the week ending January 13, 2013.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 37% would choose the Republican instead.

(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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from January 7-13, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters Strongly Favor More Health Insurance Choices

Voters continue to have mixed feelings about President Obama’s national health care law but still strongly feel that individuals should have a variety of choices when it comes to health insurance.

Forty-six percent (46%) of Likely U.S. Voters view the health care law favorably, while 48% have an unfavorable opinion of it, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This includes 16% with a Very Favorable opinion and 33% with a Very Unfavorable one. These attitudes are unchanged from a month ago. (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 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending January 12

When it comes to politics, America is clearly two different nations without much middle ground.

Half of all likely voters now give President Obama positive marks for leadership, his highest ratings since the early months of his presidency. But take a closer look: Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Democrats and 53% of voters not affiliated with either of the major political parties give Obama good or excellent marks for leadership. Just 16% of Republicans agree.

Obama’s job approval ratings in the daily Presidential Tracking Poll are also running at the highest levels of his presidency. But on Friday, for example, while 86% of Democrats approved of the job the president is doing, 83% of GOP voters disapproved. Unaffiliated voters were evenly divided.

33% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, January 6.

The latest finding shows no change from the previous week but is down 10 points from 43% the week prior to President Obama’s reelection, the highest level measured in over five years of weekly tracking.  Still, only 24% said the country was heading in the right direction this time last year.

Democrats Now Trusted More on Economy

Following the “fiscal cliff” deal, voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy for the first time in just over three-and-a-half years. Now Democrats are trusted more on 10 out of 15 key issues tracked by Rasmussen Reports. Republicans lead on two, and the parties are tied on three others.

A new national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters trust Democrats more when it comes to the economy, while 41% trust Republicans more. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. A month ago, Republicans still had a slight 44% to 42% edge. (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.

Two national surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on January 3-4 & 5-6, 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 44%, Republicans 38%

Democrats now hold a six-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending January 6, 2013.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Republican instead.

(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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from January 2-6, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point 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 January 5

The week began with a “fiscal cliff” deal that surprised no one and earned mixed reviews. It ended with another mixed unemployment report that is unlikely to change the general concerns about the nation’s economy.

Voters are evenly divided in their views of the last-minute deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” reached by President Obama and Congress. Most Democrats like it; most Republican don’t. Very few expect government spending to go down as a result.

On Jobs and Guns, Neither Party Has an Advantage

Voters are almost evenly divided as to which political party they trust more on gun control and job creation. They trust Democrats more on the environment and Republicans more in the areas of government spending and issues affecting small business.  

These are the findings from Rasmussen Reports’ latest national trust-on-issues survey. We tested five new issues that in future surveys will be added to the 10 we have regularly asked about for several years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

Obama Earns Best Full-Month Ratings Since Mid-2009

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.

For the month of December, the president's Total Job Approval Rating improved two points from November to 56%, the highest level measured since May 2009.  Prior to the election, that finding has remained in the narrow range of 44% to 49% for two years straight.

33% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, December 30.

That's down from 35% last week and the lowest finding since the beginning of September. After Election Day, confidence in the nation’s course initially tracked in the low 40s, the highest level of optimism during the Obama years. Still, the latest finding is slightly higher than was found earlier in 2012 and is up 11 points from a year 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 national telephone survey of 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen December 26-30, 2012. 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.

Rasmussen Employment Index Caps Year At Five-Year High

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence jumped 12 points in December to its highest level since November 2007.

At 91.2, the Employment Index is up 11 points from the start of 2012 and 12 points from its level a year ago.

The survey of 9,276 working Americans was conducted in December 2012 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 46%, Republicans 35%

Democrats now hold an 11-point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 30, 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 35% would choose the Republican instead.

(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 3,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from December 26-30, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

5% Think Congress Is Doing A Good or Excellent Job

With the nation teetering on the brink of the “fiscal cliff,” Congress’ job approval ratings have fallen back to the lowest level of the year. 

Just five percent (5%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate Congress’ performance as good or excellent. Sixty-nine percent (69%) view its performance as poor, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. (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 December 27-28, 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending December 29, 2012

Like it or not, Americans seem resigned to tumbling over the “fiscal cliff.” Perhaps in part it’s because they recognize, as economist Lawrence Kudlow noted on a recent edition of What America Thinks, that it’s more of a fiscal slope. 

Most voters still want to avoid the automatic tax hikes and modest spending cuts, but only 14% think Congress and the president are Very Likely to reach an agreement to avoid it. Voters by a 44% to 36% margin tend to blame congressional Republicans more than the president for the impasse, but 15% think both sides are to blame.

Despite all the hoopla surrounding the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, most voters nationwide expect a recession next year regardless of whether a deal is reached. Seventy percent (70%) predict recession if there’s no deal, but 54% think one is coming even if President Obama and Congress come to an agreement.

47% Think Health Care System Will Worsen Over Next Two Years

Most voters continue to give positive marks to the health care they currently receive, but nearly half expect the health care system in this country to get worse over the next couple of years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 78% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the overall quality of the health care they receive as good or excellent. Only seven percent (7%) consider the care they get 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 December 26, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.