Americans are more likely than ever to favor easing a ban on exporting crude oil, so long as it does not lead to higher gasoline prices that have recently sunk to near $2 a gallon, according to a new Reuters-IPSOS poll. In questions posed to more than 2,000 voting-age Americans earlier this month, around 45 percent generally agreed that oil drillers should be allowed to export domestic crude abroad, while just over 30 percent broadly disagreed. In September, supporters and opponents were both at around 40 percent. It was the first meaningful shift in opinion since Reuters-IPSOS began polling on the issue in October 2013. In the previous three surveys, respondents were generally split 50:50. The poll does not explain why U.S. public sentiment has shifted. However, several events in recent months may have moved the needle on one of the nation’s most pressing, if […]

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