Lifestyle

Americans Put Country and God First

After family, what do Americans believe in most strongly? Their country and their religious faith.

Americans Reject Plans to Pay Killers Not to Kill

In an effort to reduce their homicide rates, several major cities including Baltimore, Miami, Toledo and Washington, D.C. are considering a plan to pay criminals not to murder with a gun. Americans overwhelmingly reject that idea.

Most Don't Blame Cops for Shooting Incidents

Despite the continuing debate over police conduct, more Americans than ever say their local officers are doing a good job, and most still don't think cops are to blame for the majority of shootings they are involved in.

Should Texting While Walking Be Against the Law?

To reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities, a New Jersey lawmaker has proposed penalizing those who use cell phones without hands-free devices on sidewalks and beside roadways. More than a third of Americans are on board with that idea.

More Americans Will Attend Church This Easter

While Easter is not the most important holiday of the year for the majority of Americans, most plan on attending a church service to honor it. 

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of American Adults continue to regard Easter, the day Christians believe marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as one of our nation’s most important holidays. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% think it’s among the least important holidays, while 46% place it somewhere in between. (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 American Adults was conducted on March 22-23, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Three Quarters of Americans Believe Jesus Rose From the Dead

Americans’ belief in Jesus Christ’s resurrection is even higher this Easter.

Happy Birthday, Slurpee!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Slurpee, the frozen carbonated beverage sold at 7-Eleven convenience stores worldwide, and Americans have fond feelings toward the sugary, icy drink.

Americans Welcome The Arrival of Spring

Sunday was the first official day of spring, leaving behind Americans' least favorite season and putting most in a better mood.

Most Say We Have Less Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech. It’s the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and for many the most important. But most Americans still feel it’s in danger.

Most Americans Support Same-Sex Adoptions

Following a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision this week to uphold an adoption by a lesbian couple in Georgia, just over half of Americans say they support same-sex couples adopting children.

Americans Are Angry About Politics But Not at Each Other

Americans are very angry politically as the surprising success of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders clearly indicates, but fortunately they're not taking that anger out on their family and friends.

Are Americans Honest at Tax Time?

Americans don't consider their fellow countrymen an overly honest group, but they think most play fair when it comes to their taxes.

Oscars Controversy Has Little Impact on Viewing Audience

This Sunday’s 88th Academy Awards are marred by controversy over a lack of diversity among the nominees, but viewers don't seem to mind.

Is Apple Right To Challenge The FBI?

Voters disagree with Apple’s decision to challenge a federal court order to unlock an iPhone used by one of the attackers in the San Bernardino, California terrorist massacre, with even more continuing to say preventing terrorism is more important than protecting Americans’ privacy.

Americans OK With – But Not Excited About – Presidents’ Day

Americans don’t rate Presidents’ Day too highly on their list of federal holidays, but most think the number of holidays celebrated by the federal government is about right.

Is Life in America's Prisons Too Hard?

President Obama's recent executive actions on solitary confinement and the treatment of mentally ill prisoners are the latest efforts in a bipartisan push to reform the country’s prison system. While most Americans agree that too many people are incarcerated, many also feel conditions in America's prisons today aren't tough enough.

Americans Aren’t Overly Worried About Zika Virus

The World Health Organization this week officially declared a public health emergency in response to the rapidly spreading Zika virus in Latin America. While a majority of Americans show some concern about the virus, they also think the media overhypes such outbreaks.

Is It Good or Bad That Most Teachers Are In Unions?

Detroit public school teachers are taking "sick-outs" in huge numbers in part to protest their pay, causing school shutdowns throughout the city and illustrating the power of public employee unions. Most Americans still agree that teachers are underpaid and have a slightly more positive view of teachers' unions these days.

Benghazi Movie Is Much Hotter Ticket for GOPers Than For Democrats

The names Obama and Clinton never appear in “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” but Republicans are still twice as likely as Democrats to have the new movie on their viewing list. The film details the on-the-ground circumstances surrounding the murder of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya on September 11-12, 2012, while Hillary Clinton was secretary of State.

How's Your Drinking Water?

While the residents of Flint, Michigan deal with the repercussions of lead-contaminated drinking water, the vast majority of Americans still consider their home water supply quite dependable.