33% Favor Second Term for Bernanke, 47% Say Geithner Should Go
Americans are evenly divided over whether Ben Bernanke should stay or go, as the Senate moves closer to a confirmation vote on the embattled chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
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Most Recent Releases
January 27, 2010
January 27, 2010
59% Say Cut Taxes to Create Jobs, 14% Expect Congress to Listen
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of voters nationwide believe cutting taxes is better than increasing government spending as a job-creation tool.
January 25, 2010
Americans Support Obama Plan to Tax Bailed-Out Banks
Most Americans favor the new effort by President Obama to recover the bailout money by taxing the nation’s largest banks. However, most only want the banks who received bailouts to pay the tax and think that other bailed-out institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also should be taxed.
January 24, 2010
39% Are Worried Government Won't Do Enough to Help Economy
Voters are a little more concerned this month that the government will not do enough to help fix the economy and a bit more confident that last year's $787-billion stimulus plan has actually been a benefit.
January 21, 2010
45% Still Think GM Will Need Another Bailout
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 29% believe it’s more likely that GM will become profitable again rather than need additional bailouts from the federal government. Forty-five percent (45%) say the automaker is more likely to need more bailouts. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure.
January 19, 2010
26% Likely To Buy or Lease a Car This Year
Twenty-six percent (26%) of Americans say they are at least somewhat likely to buy or lease a car in the next year. Just 12% say they are very likely to do so.
January 12, 2010
Confidence in A Home As A Family’s Best Investment Down to 55%
Americans continue to show little short- or long-term confidence in the housing market, and belief in a family home as an investment has declined to its lowest point yet.
January 11, 2010
Most Voters Still Say Bailouts Were a Bad Idea
Looking back, most U.S. voters still don't approve of the government bailouts of the financial industry and troubled automakers General Motors and Chrysler.
January 8, 2010
18% Say It’s Very Likely That U.S. Will See Another Great Depression
Americans are far from optimistic about the economy, but they have mixed emotions about how low it can go.
January 7, 2010
Rasmussen Employment Index Up Slightly
The Rasmussen Employment Index rose more than two points in December after falling four points the month before.
January 6, 2010
Discover® U.S. Spending MonitorSM Drops 3.3 Points in December
The Discover U.S. Spending Monitor fell 3.3 points in December to 83.0 (based out of 100). The decline was primarily driven by a big decrease in post- holiday spending intentions from consumers. While the decrease in spending intentions was anticipated, consumers showed little improvement in economic confidence in December and they grew slightly more pessimistic about their finances. These contributing factors leave the Monitor's index standing at a nine-month low.
January 6, 2010
65% Predict Three Years or More For Housing Market To Recover
Americans start the new year with a bleak assessment of the housing market’s prospects for recovery.
January 5, 2010
38% Expect Economy to Be Stronger in a Year, 39% Say Weaker
Hope for a stronger economy has declined in recent months, with pessimism up sharply from a year ago.
January 2, 2010
Public Way Ahead of Treasury Officials On Housing Crisis
The New York Times reports that “the Obama administration’s $75 billion program to protect homeowners from foreclosure has been widely pronounced a disappointment, and some economists and real estate experts now contend it has done more harm than good.”
January 1, 2010
50% Expect U.S. Will Be In Recession At End of 2010
Fifty percent (50%) of Americans believe the country will still be in recession at the end of 2010, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
December 28, 2009
Small Business Confidence Steady in December
Economic confidence among America's small business owners was steady in December as fewer of them believed the U.S. economy was getting worse compared to November, and more saw conditions for their own businesses getting better in the next six months, according to the Discover Small Business Watch. The Watch index improved slightly in December to 77.0 from 76.5 in November.
December 28, 2009
Two Economies: Government Workers Optimistic, Private Sector Not
Government employees are much more bullish about the economy than those who work in the private sector. That’s a big change from the beginning of the year when those on the public payroll were a bit more pessimistic than private sector workers.
December 27, 2009
Americans More Wary of Using Credit Cards Online
With the Christmas shopping season over, Americans admit to being less comfortable using their credit cards online than in past years as their worries about identity theft remain high.
December 26, 2009
For First Time, Plurality Believes Stimulus Plan Hurt the Economy
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 30% of voters nationwide believe the $787-billion economic stimulus plan has helped the economy. However, 38% believe that the stimulus plan has hurt the economy. This is the first time since the legislation passed that a plurality has held a negative view of its impact.
December 22, 2009
28% Using Postal Service Less This Holiday Season
Twenty-eight percent (28%) of Americans say they are using the U.S. Postal Service less this holiday season than in past years, but adults overwhelmingly believe there will still be a need for the Postal Service 10 years from now.
