24% Favor National Sales Tax, 65% Oppose
The New York Times reports that “economists across the political spectrum say a consumption tax may be inevitable once the economy fully recovers.”
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Most Recent Releases
December 16, 2009
December 15, 2009
59% Say Average Government Worker Earns More Than Average Taxpayer
Compared to the average government worker, most Americans think they work harder, have less job security and make less money.
December 15, 2009
52% Oppose Further Regulation of U.S. Financial System
Americans remain opposed to further government regulation of the U.S. financial system, even as President Obama and congressional Democrats move closer to passage of legislation that will give the government more oversight than ever.
December 8, 2009
Most Americans Oppose Second Stimulus and Using Bailout Funds for States
President Obama hopes to use money still unspent from the $787-billion economic stimulus plan to fight the nation’s 10% unemployment rate, and one of the ideas on the table is to channel money to states to keep them from laying off public employees.
December 8, 2009
76% Prefer Free Market Economy
Support for a free market economy remains strong despite the extended recession and last fall’s Wall Street meltdown.
December 7, 2009
Just 15% Favor Higher Gas Tax To Fund More Transportation Projects
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently floated the idea of increasing the federal tax on gasoline as a way to meet Congress’ growing list of transportation projects, but most Americans are cool to the idea.
December 7, 2009
67% Expect Unemployment Will Be The Same or Higher A Year From Now
Despite President Obama’s highly-publicized jobs summit late last week and a slight drop in the national unemployment rate to 10%, Americans remain pessimistic about the jobs situation.
December 4, 2009
79% Now Favor Auditing the Fed
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday voiced his opposition to legislation calling for regular audits of the Fed’s monetary policies, but 79% of Americans think auditing the Fed is a good idea.
December 2, 2009
Just 21% Favor Bernanke’s Reappointment As Fed Chairman
Ben Bernanke begins the formal process tomorrow for confirmation to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, but 41% of Americans think President Obama should name someone new to the post.
December 2, 2009
59% Think A Home Is A Family’s Best Investment
For many Americans, a house still doesn’t look like a safe bet for a home.
December 1, 2009
Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM): Small Business Confidence Plunges
Economic confidence among America's small business owners plummeted in November, as more owners cited serious concerns about cash flow and saw economic conditions for their own businesses getting worse. The Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM)index fell 12 points in November to 76.5 from 88.5 in October.
December 1, 2009
Rasmussen Employment Index Down As Hiring Expectations Decline
After three months of gains, the Rasmussen Employment Index dropped more than four points in November to its lowest level since July.
November 30, 2009
Confidence in Housing Market Stalls
October’s exuberance over the housing market appears to have fallen back to the levels seen for much of this year, while long-term confidence appears to be trending down.
November 24, 2009
36% Say Stimulus Good for Economy, 34% Disagree
Voters are a bit more skeptical this month about the $787-billion economic stimulus plan, but overall views of the stimulus have remained largely unchanged since President Obama signed it into law in February.
November 20, 2009
42% Rate Geithner’s Performance As Poor
Forty-two percent (42%) of Americans say Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has done a poor job handling the credit crisis and federal bailout programs, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
November 19, 2009
Democrats & Unaffiliateds More Likely To Be Unemployed Than Republicans
Data from Rasmussen Reports national telephone surveys shows that 15.0% of Democrats in the workforce are currently unemployed and looking for a job. Among adults not affiliated with either major party, that number is 15.6% while just 9.9% of Republicans are in the same situation.
November 19, 2009
To Create Jobs, Voters Say Cut Taxes and Stop Spending
As the policy debate has unfolded in Washington this year, voters have consistently believed that tax cuts would do more than increased government spending to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Now that the nation’s unemployment rate has reached 10.2%, voters continue to hold that view.
November 18, 2009
83% Say Credit Cards Tempt People To Buy
The card made me do it, or so most Americans say.
November 17, 2009
50% Say Their Credit Card Interest Rates Were Raised in Last Six Months
Fifty percent (50%) of Americans say interest rates on their credit cards have been raised in the past six months, as Congress seeks to limit the ability of banks to raise those rates.
November 17, 2009
26% Have Worked With Someone They Thought Capable Of Mass Violence
Twenty-six percent (26%) of employed adults say they have seriously thought that someone in their workplace was capable of mass violence, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
