With the federal government expected to hit its debt limit in mid-October, 70 percent of Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling, the latest Reason-Rupe poll finds. In fact, 55 percent of Americans say they do not support raising the debt ceiling even if it causes the U.S. to default on […] Read more »
44% of Americans oppose raising debt ceiling
… By a 44-22 percent margin, Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling, which again puts the president in the difficult position of needing to make the case on an unpopular policy with a deadline quickly approaching. The poll results come as the U.S. Treasury Department says the country will reach […] Read more »
CNN Poll: Who would get blamed for government shutdown?
With the clock ticking towards two crucial deadlines, a new national poll indicates congressional Republicans would shoulder more blame than President Barack Obama for a possible government shutdown. But according to a CNN/ORC International survey, support for the president’s health care law appears to be waning. [cont.] Paul Steinhauser, CNN Read more »
Back to the Future? A Look At the 1995-96 Government Shutdowns
Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but public attitudes toward the 1995 and 1996 government shutdowns went south quickly. And, the standing of Republicans in Congress dropped from a pretty good level to a much weaker point. It was a sobering lesson in the advantage of […] Read more »
We All Want More of Everything—Except Taxes: How Opinion Polling Constrains Washington
… While our desire for lots of government programs but low taxes is documented, current polling practices are at least slightly to blame for the fact that politicians feel the need to fulfill all of the public’s “wishes.” What politicians see is that the public supports all of these programs. […] Read more »
Fighting discrimination, as inequality grows
… According to Gallup, 54 percent of blacks believe government should play “a major role” in improving the economic and social welfare of minorities in this country. Only 22 percent of whites agree. The role of government is at the core of the partisan division in this country. It’s a […] Read more »