Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Gallery
  • Contact Us

Scott Rasmussen

Tag: Political ideology

Just 57% of Voters Know That The Political “Right” Refers to Conservatives

Posted on December 30, 2021 | by Staff Writer
  

Just 57% of voters know that the political right refers to conservatives. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 15% mistakenly believe it refers to liberals and 28% are not sure.

This highlights the disconnect frequently found between the language of the political elite and the language of everyday Americans. If a politician speaks of the “political right,” just over half of the nation’s voters understand the reference. It’s also likely that some (perhaps many) of the 57% who answered correctly are less than certain of the answer.

When it comes to knowing the meaning of the political right, Republicans are more aware than Democrats or Independents. White and Hispanic voters are more likely than black voters to answer correctly.

In many ways, to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, the political elite and the rest of America are two nations separated by a common language. For pollsters, this creates a challenge. If you ask a question in the language of the political elite, it may be interpreted much differently by the survey respondents. The real danger, however, comes when the political elites fail to recognize this barrier.

For example, to the political elite, socialism is a term loosely reflecting the views of politicians like Senator Bernie Sanders or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, few voters see it that way. Among those who say they like socialism, only a third believes it means a more powerful role for government and higher taxes.

Additionally, nearly half the nation’s voters don’t know what would happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned. That makes it difficult to place any value on polls showing support or opposition to that court ruling.

SIGN UP to receive Scott’s free email newsletter.

CHECK OUT Scott’s latest polls.

Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left more than seven years ago and has had no involvement since that time.

Question:

In political dialogue, people sometimes refer to political activists as being on the Left or the Right. If somebody is a political conservative, are they on the Left or the Right?

15%       Left

57%       Right

28%       Not sure

Methodology

The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on December 6-8, 2021. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.

Posted in Poll Results | Tagged Civic engagement, Political ideology, Voting

Scott's Newsletter
Sign up for Scott's newsletter and get his political insight delivered right to your inbox!

65% More Interested In Economic Issues More Than Cultural Issues.

Posted on December 9, 2021 | by Staff Writer
  

Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters are more interested in economic issues than cultural issues. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 19% take the opposite view and 16% are not sure.

Most voters (55%) also believe that Republican politicians and activists are more interested in economic issues. Only 21% believe the GOP has more interest in cultural issues.

However, when it comes to Democratic politicians and activists, voters are evenly divided. Thirty-eight percent (38%) believe those in President Biden’s party are more interested in cultural issues. Thirty-seven percent (37%) think economic issues are the top priority for Democrats.

Independent voters, by a 38% to 29% margin, tend to see Democrats as more interested in cultural issues. These unaffiliated voters see Republicans as primarily interested in economic issues by a 47% to 17% margin.

SIGN UP to receive Scott’s free email newsletter.

CHECK OUT Scott’s latest polls.

Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left more than seven years ago and has had no involvement since that time.

Question 1:

Are Democratic politicians and activists more interested in economic issues or cultural issues?

37%       Economic issues

38%       Cultural issues

25%       Not sure

Question 2:

Okay, are Republican politicians and activists more interested in economic issues or cultural issues?

55%       Economic issues

21%       Cultural issues

25%       Not sure

Question 3:

What about you? Generally speaking, are you more interested in economic issues or cultural issues?

65%       Economic issues

19%       Cultural issues

16%       Not sure

Methodology

The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on December 6-8, 2021. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.

Posted in Poll Results | Tagged Civic engagement, Elections, Political ideology, Voting

Scott's Newsletter
Sign up for Scott's newsletter and get his political insight delivered right to your inbox!

Recent Posts

55% Favor US Joining NATO Allies in Sending Troops to Protect Ukraine; 21% Disagree (01-20-2022)
53% Have Confidence in the U.S. System of Elections (01-17-2022)
80% Favor Requiring Photo ID Before Casting a Ballot (01-17-2022)
On Election Reform, 50% Say Priority is Making it Harder to Cheat; 38% Say Easier to Vote (01-17-2022)
Biden Job Approval Steady at 41%; 52% Disapprove (01-14-2022)
Economic Pessimism Grows: 20% Say Their Finances Are Getting Better While 35% Say Worse (01-14-2022)
Just 13% See Trade As Only an Economic Issue; 75% Want National Security and Human Rights Issues Considered As Well (01-13-2022)
55% Know of Local Businesses Unable to Hire As Many Workers As They Need (01-11-2022)
full archive
Voters Say 44 cents of Every Dollar Spent By Federal Government is Wasted (2021-10-14)
Most Who Strongly Disapprove of Trump Also Oppose Removing Statues Honoring Washington (2020-07-06)
The Polls Weren't Wrong in 2016--But The Analysis of the Polls Was Horrible (2020-04-20)
full archive

Why Americans Are Skeptical of Government Experts (2021-06-30)
Reality Check for Trump--and Biden--Supporters (2020-12-29)
America's Founding Ideals Can Bring Americans Together (2020-08-24)
full archive
© 2023 Scott Rasmussen