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Rasmussen...
What They Told
Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, April 21, 2012
So goes the housing market, so goes the nation, or at least that’s the
way many feel as the U.S. economy continues to stumble along.
For the first time, fewer than half (49%) of U.S. homeowners believe
their home is worth more than when they bought it. That’s down 13
points from 62% last October and down a staggering 31 points from 80%
who believed that to be true in June 2008.
No wonder just 52% of Americans believe buying a home is the best
investment a family can make. That compares to 73% who felt that way in
September 2008.
There are some flickers of hope, but they’re not the kind of numbers to
make anyone jump for joy. Eighteen percent (18%) of Americans, for
example, say now is a good time for someone in their area to sell their
house, the highest finding in two years, although most (63%) still
don’t share that sentiment.
Homeowners remain more optimistic about both the short- and long-term
housing markets than they were for nearly all of last year. But still
just 21% expect the value of their home to go up over the next year.
Slightly more (25%) expect their home’s value to go down. But 46% now
believe the value of their home will be higher five years from now.
The Federal Reserve Board plans to keep interest rates at record lows
at least through late 2014, but 47% of Americans believe the rates will
go up over the next year anyway.
Looking at these numbers, Scott Rasmussen concludes in his latest
syndicated column that “The Housing Crisis is Depressing
America.” But Americans aren’t looking for “some magical
new housing policy,” he says. “… Most homeowners recognize that the
underlying cause of the housing crisis was a corrupt relationship
between the federal government, elected politicians and well-connected
financiers. While the housing market was collapsing, the financiers
were getting bailed out.”
Voters, in fact, have mixed views on the government’s role in solving
the current economic problems, but they are certain cutting government
spending is a good place to start.
While some prescribe more government programs, 65% of voters recognize
that a government powerful enough to do everything you want is also
powerful enough to take away everything you have. Voters put a very
high value on protecting the rights of the individual.
Individual rights are at issue in the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of
President Obama’s national health care law, specifically the
requirement that all Americans must have health insurance. Most voters
still want to repeal that law.
Massachusetts voters are evenly divided over whether the Supreme Court
should overturn the president’s law modeled in part on the health
reform plan adopted in their state.
Health care is just one of the topics Scott tackles in his New York
Times bestselling book, The People’s Money: How the American People
Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt . He
contends that voters are ready to support the kind of long-term
thoughtful changes needed to balance the budget and eliminate the
federal debt. The only thing standing in the way is a Political Class
committed to defending the status quo.
Check out Scott on the air, too, with his three Rasmussen Report radio
updates every weekday, courtesy of the WOR Radio Network. Listen for
the one-minute editions of “The Rasmussen Report” on radio stations in
your area. If you can’t find it, encourage your favorite station to
sign up.
The Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes which measure daily
confidence among both groups continue to muddle along. At week’s end,
32% of consumers said economic conditions are getting better, but 50%
believe they are getting worse. Among investors, 36% feel the economy
is getting better, while 49% say it is getting worse.
Only 27% of voters now think the country is heading in the right
direction, the lowest finding since mid-January. This number peaked at
40% in early May of Obama’s first year in office. Sixty-five percent
(65%) continue to think the country is heading down the wrong track.
Just over one-third (35%) of voters believe America’s best days are in
the future. Fifty percent (50%) say America’s best days are in the
past, the highest finding since early December.
While most Americans continue to see their country as a fair and decent
place, 55% think hate is growing here, and support for tougher
prosecution of hate crimes has rebounded from a low reached late last
year. Interestingly, despite the national controversy over the shooting
of black teenager Trayvon Martin by a Hispanic neighborhood watch
volunteer in Florida, there is very little difference of opinion about
the rise of hate among blacks, whites and those of other races. By
comparison, in April of last year, blacks believed much more strongly
than the others that hate was increasing.
The media has been criticized for its sensationalist coverage of the
Martin shooting. NBC-TV even had to fire a producer who edited a tape
for broadcast that incorrectly made shooter George Zimmernan sound like
he was singling out Martin because he was black. Americans overall give
mixed reviews to the media coverage of the Martin case, but like
virtually everything about this story, there are wide racial and
partisan differences of opinion.
Comedian Bill Cosby said recently that the Martin case raised serious
questions about community watch volunteers being allowed to carry
guns. “Without a gun,” Cosby said, “I don’t see Zimmerman
approaching Trayvon by himself.” Thirty-nine percent (39%) of American
think volunteer community watch officers should be allowed to carry
guns. Forty-six percent (46%) disagree.
At week’s end, there was also a new judge assigned to the Martin case
after the previous one stepped down over a possible conflict of
interest. Americans continue to put much a lot more faith in a jury of
their peers than a judge to determine guilt or innocence in a trial.
The week began on an entirely different note as many Americans rushed
to file their income taxes by Tax Day on Tuesday. Just before the
deadline, 19% nationwide still had not filed their taxes, although that
was on pace with last year at this time.
Americans remain unhappy with what they perceive as the lack of
fairness in the existing tax code. The so-called “Buffett rule” which
would require millionaires to pay a 30% minimum tax rate was defeated
in the Senate on Monday, but the president plans to keep pushing the
plan on the campaign trail. Most Americans think the wealthy pay less
than their fair share in taxes, and nearly half feels the middle class
pays more than its share.
What’s in a name? Plenty if it’s the Internal Revenue Service,
especially at this time of year. Rasmussen Reports asked Americans
which government agency they fear most, the tax-collecting IRS or the
occasionally ham-handed Transportation Security Administration which
handles airport security. A plurality (43%) said the IRS. Just 20%, in
fact, feared the TSA more. Thirty-six percent (36%) were undecided.
Now that it appears to be a two-man race, Mitt Romney and the president
continue to run neck-and-neck in our daily Election 2012 matchup.
Romney still leads Obama in Missouri, while the president remains the
front-runner in Ohio.
Republicans, as they have for nearly three years now, continue to lead
Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. Current House Speaker
John Boehner is the most-liked congressional leader, but he’s even more
disliked. However, his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, who hasn’t been
in charge of the House for well over a year, remains the least-liked
leader by far.
Read the rest of the article with links at Rasmussen
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