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41% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Forty-one percent (41%) 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, November 18.

That’s down a point from the previous week and down two from the week before, which marked the highest level of optimism during the Obama presidency. Still, the latest finding is up 17 points from the beginning of the year and up 24 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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen November 12-18, 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.

Elections Haven’t Changed Negative Views of Top Congressional Leaders

Despite the noise and the passions of this year’s elections, all four of the top congressional leaders from both parties are back and remain just as unpopular as they were before Election Day. The same goes for Vice President Joe Biden.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the House Democrats, is still the most unpopular as she has been since her years as Speaker of the House. But she’s closely followed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and current House Speaker John Boehner. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell continues to be the least well-known. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Given the holiday week, there will be no Rasmussen Challenge  this week. The contest will resume on Tuesday, November 27.

(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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 18-19, 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.

Voters Rate GOP More Partisan Than Democrats in Congress

Voters now consider Democrats in Congress more bipartisan than they have in several years and congressional Republicans as less so. However, most think both parties continue to behave in a partisan manner.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of Likely U.S. Voters now believe congressional Democrats are acting on a bipartisan basis. By contrast, only 22% think the same of Republicans in Congress.

Similarly, while 61% feel congressional Republicans are acting like partisan Republicans, just 53% believe that to be true of Democrats in Congress. Roughly 16% are undecided when it comes to both parties. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Given the holiday week, there will be no Rasmussen Challenge this week. The contest will resume on Tuesday, November 27.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 16-17, 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 45%, Republicans 40%

Democrats now lead Republicans by five points on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending November 18, 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% 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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from November 12-18, 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls -- For The Week Ending November 17, 2012

You can bet President Obama and Congress don’t want to leave Americans huge tax hikes and deep across-the-board spending cuts as a late holiday present, so official Washington is scrambling to avoid the end-of-the-year “fiscal cliff.” Voters think that’s a good idea.

42% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Forty-two percent (42%) 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, November 11.

That’s down a point from the previous week which marked the highest level of optimism during the Obama presidency. Still, the latest finding is up 18 points from the beginning of the year and up 24 points from a year ago.

Take the Rasmussen Challenge! Answers must be submitted by 11:59pm ET tonight. 

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen November 5-11, 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.

30% Say Supreme Court Doing Good or Excellent Job

Views of the U.S. Supreme Court's performance are little changed, but fewer voters now believe justices nominated by President Obama are too liberal. 

Thirty percent (30%) of Likely Voters rate the job the Supreme Court is doing as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  Twenty-four percent (24%) consider the high court’s performance 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 12-13, 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.

10% Rate Congress’ Job Performance As Good or Excellent

Following the election, most voters still believe that Congress is doing a poor job. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 10% of Likely Voters rate Congress’ job performance as good or excellent, while 61% say they are doing a poor job.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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(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 November 8-9, 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 45%, Republicans 42%

Democrats now lead Republicans by three points on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending November 11, 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while another 42% 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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from November 5-11, 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.

45% Say America’s Best Days Are in the Past, 43% Say They Still Lie Ahead

As Barack Obama prepares to serve a second term as President, American voters are closely divided as to whether the nation’s best days are behind us or still to come. Forty-five percent (45%) of Likely U.S. Voters feel that America’s best days are in the past, but nearly as many (43%) think they are in the future, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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

(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 November 7, 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 -- For The Week Ending November 11, 2012

“One of the strangest aspects of Election 2012 is that voters are demanding change but didn't change politicians. They left Republicans in charge of the House, elected an even more Democratic Senate and re-elected President Obama. They're unhappy with the status quo in the country but left the political status quo in place.” That’s how Scott Rasmussen described the results in his weekly newspaper column. He added that “voters basically threw the same kids back in the room and told them to clean up the mess they've created.”

Now that the election is over, most voters (55%) want the Republicans in Congress to work with the president. However, eight-out-of-ten Republicans disagree and want their representatives to stand for what they believe in rather than compromise. The president is not the only one likely to have trouble with GOP voters. Most Republicans think their representatives in Washington are out of touch with the party’s base.

New High: 68% See Global Warming As Serious Problem

While there was little talk of climate change during the presidential campaign, the number of U.S. voters who see global warming as a serious problem is at an all-time high.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of Likely U.S. Voters now say global warming is at least a somewhat serious problem, including 38% who think it’s Very Serious.  Thirty percent (30%) don’t see global warming as a serious problem, with 12% who think it’s 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.

43% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Forty-three percent (43%) 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, November 4.

That’s up four points from 39% last week which marked the highest level of optimism since May 2009. The latest finding, the highest of the Obama presidency, is up 19 points from 24% at the beginning of the year and up 26 points from 17% a year ago.

Take the Rasmussen Challenge!  Answers must be submitted by 11:59pm ET tonight.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen October 29-November 4, 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. 

50% Favor Health Care Repeal, 44% Oppose

Fifty percent (50%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor repeal of President Obama’s national health care law, while 44% are opposed to repeal, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

A week ago, 54% favored repeal, and most voters have favored repeal of the law in regular surveys since its passage in March 2010. But this is the closest the enthusiasm level on the two sides has ever been: 39% now Strongly Favor repeal, while nearly as many (37%) Strongly Oppose it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 4, 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% Say U.S. and Allies Are Winning War on Terror

Voter confidence in U.S. efforts in the War on Terror has inched up slightly since the September 11 attack in Libya that left four Americans dead, including the U.S. ambassador there. However, the number of voters who say the terrorists are winning the conflict also has grown.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows 49% believe the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror, but 25% think the terrorists are winning that war.  Another 19% say neither side has the advantage.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Win an IPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge. 

(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 2,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 31-November 1, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 46%, Democrats 46%

Republicans and Democrats are tied on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending November 4, 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while another 46% would choose the Democrat 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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from October 29-November 4, 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.

Rasmussen Employment Index Improves Slightly in October

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence inched up three points in October but remains slightly below the level measured for most of 2012.

At 79.9, the Employment Index has rebounded eight points from August’s 10-month low of 72.0 and is eight points above the level of confidence measured a year ago. Worker confidence is now a point below the level measured in January.

(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 8,810 working Americans was conducted in October 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.

Ohio Senate: Brown (D) 48%, Mandel (R) 48%

The U.S. Senate race in Ohio remains a close one.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Ohio Voters shows Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and his Republican challenger Josh Mandel each earning 48% support. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate, and another two percent (2%) 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 Ohio was conducted on November 1, 2012 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.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending November 3, 2012

Too close to call: That’s where we’re at. With eight states, all carried by Barack Obama in 2008, likely to decide the winner.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll finds President Obama and Mitt Romney tied nationally with 48% support each. 

Our Electoral College Projections show that the president can reasonably assume he has 237 votes locked up to Romney’s 206. The winner needs 270. Eight states, with a total of 95 Electoral College votes, remain toss-ups and will determine whose sworn in as president in January: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Ohio: Obama 49%, Romney 49%

With four days to go, President Obama and Mitt Romney are tied in the critical battleground state of Ohio.   

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Ohio Voters finds Obama and Romney each with 49% support.  Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, while one percent (1%) is 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 Ohio was conducted on November 1, 2012 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.