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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for August 23, 2024

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By Scott Rasmussen

The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

August 23, 2024: Two-thirds (66%) of voters know what a tariff is. A Scott Rasmussen national survey conducted by RMG Research found that 74% say they know, and 89% of those - or 66% of all voters - correctly described it in response to an open-ended question.

The survey also found that 36% of voters believe that free trade would improve national security, while 17% believe that free trade would actually threaten national security.

Methodology

The survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on August 12-13, 2024. Fieldwork 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. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Note: Scott Rasmussen is the president of RMG Research, Inc. He hosts "The Scott Rasmussen Show" on Merit Street Media Sunday mornings at 10 Eastern.

Survey Questions

Do you know what a tariff is?

  • 74%-Yes
  • 15%-No
  • 10%-Not sure

2a* [Among all voters] In just a few words, please tell me what a tariff is.

  • 26%-Not asked, do not know what a tariff is
  • 66%-Correct
  • 7%-A tax
  • 1%-Incorrect
  • 0%-No answer

2b* [Among those who say they know] In just a few words, please tell me what a tariff is.

  • 89%-Correct
  • 10%-A tax
  • 1%-Incorrect
  • 0%-No answer

3* Some people believe that free trade improves national security by building commercial relationships between countries. Others see free trade as a threat to national security. Which comes closer to your view?

  • 36%-Improves national security
  • 17%-Threatens national security
  • 25%-Has no impact on national security
  • 23%-Not sure

Editor's note: this post originally reported that 88% of voters know what a tariff is. It has been updated throughout to reflect that 66% of voters know what a tariff is.



Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.

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