Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for March 2, 2026
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
March 2, 2026: Fifteen percent (15%) of voters say most federal spending is waste and fraud. A Napolitan News Service national survey conducted by RMG Research found 42% say a lot of federal spending is waste and fraud, 31% say some, and 7% say not very much.
The survey also found 41% say it is possible to balance the federal budget simply by eliminating government waste and fraud. Thirty-five percent (35%) say it is not possible.
Methodology
The survey of 999 registered voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on February 23-24, 2026. 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.
Scott Rasmussen is the president of RMG Research, Inc. and founder of the Napolitan Institute.
Survey questions
How much federal spending is waste and fraud?
- 15%-Most
- 42%-A lot
- 31%-Some
- 7%-Not very much
- 6%-Not sure
Is it possible to balance the federal budget simply by eliminating government waste and fraud?
- 41%-Yes
- 35%-No
- 24%-Not sure
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- February 27, 2026-58% of voters favor a proposal to ban Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes
- February 26, 2026-29% of voters claim businesses in their area are likely to be hiring
- February 25, 2026-36 states are holding gubernatorial elections in 2026
- February 24, 2026-57% of voters know there is a partial federal government shutdown at this time
- February 23, 2026-72 years ago, the polio vaccine was given for the first time
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
Footnotes