Budget/Taxes (10)

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Budget, Taxes, Economic Policy (p. 10)

CBS News/New York Times Poll. April 5-12, 2010. N=1,580 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"If you had to choose, would you prefer reducing the federal budget deficit or cutting taxes?"

		Reducing the deficit	Cutting taxes	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/5-12/10	45	47	8
	7/03	50	46	4

"Do you think providing government money to banks and other financial institutions was necessary to get the economy out of recession, or would the economy probably have improved without doing that?"

		Necessary	Probably improved without that	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/5-12/10	39	51	10

"Do you regard the income tax which you will have to pay this year as fair, or not?"

		Fair	Not fair	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/5-12/10	62	30	8

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. April 9-11, 2010. N=1,008 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, the federal income tax cuts passed into law in 2001 are set to expire next year. Would you favor or oppose making those tax cuts permanent?" 3/08 & earlier: "As you may know, the federal income tax cuts passed into law since George W. Bush became president are set to expire within the next several years. Would you favor or oppose making those tax cuts permanent?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/9-11/10	60	33	8
	3/14-16/08	54	40	6
	5/4-6/07	57	37	6

"How fair do you think our present federal tax system is? Overall, would you say that our tax system is very fair, moderately fair, not too fair or not fair at all?"

		Very fair	Moderately fair	Not too fair	Not fair at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/9-11/10	4	45	30	20	1

"Do you think the Internal Revenue Service should be abolished, or don't you feel that way?"

		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/9-11/10	26	70	4

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. April 6-7, 2010. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"I'm going to read you the names of several individuals. Please tell me whether you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of each one. If you've never heard of someone, please just say so. The Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS."

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure	Never heard of
		%	%	%	%
	4/6-7/10	49	38	13	-
	6/9-10/09	49	39	11	1
	4/2-3/02	45	34	20	1

CBS News Poll. March 29-April 1, 2010. N=858 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you feel you pay more than your fair share in federal income taxes, less than your fair share, or is the amount you pay about right?"

		More than fair share	Less than fair share	About right	Don't file taxes (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/29 - 4/1/10	43	1	50	4	2
	4/9-12/07	37	1	55	5	2
	4/06	34	1	58	4	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. March 26-28, 2010. N=1,033 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Thinking about the economic problems currently facing the United States, how much do you blame George W. Bush for these: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"

		A great deal	A moderate amount	Not much	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/26-28/10	42	33	15	9	-
	7/17-19/09	43	37	13	7	1

"Thinking about the economic problems currently facing the United States, how much do you blame Barack Obama for these: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"

		A great deal	A moderate amount	Not much	Not at all
		%	%	%	%
	3/26-28/10	26	24	21	29
	7/17-19/09	14	18	29	38

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. March 19-22, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Do you think the economic stimulus passed by Congress last year is helping the economy, is keeping the economy from getting worse, is having no effect, or is hurting the economy?" 2009: "Do you think the economic stimulus passed by Congress earlier this year is helping the economy, is keeping the economy from getting worse, is having no effect, or is hurting the economy?"

		Helping	Keeping from getting worse	Having no effect	Hurting	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	20	17	33	27	3
	12/3-7/09	19	18	32	28	3
	9/10-14/09	24	23	27	22	4

"Do you believe middle-class Americans will or will not have to make financial sacrifices to decrease the deficit?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	90	8	2
	12/3-7/09	88	10	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Feb. 12-15, 2010. N=1,023 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think Congress has done enough to help create jobs, or don't you think so?"

		Has done enough	Don't think so	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/12-15/10	14	84	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Jan. 22-24, 2010. N=1,009 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think Barack Obama has paid more attention to the problems faced by middle class Americans or the problems faced by banks and other financial institutions?"

		Middle class Americans	Banks, financial institutions	Both equal/ Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/22-24/10	28	60	11	2

"How important is it to you that the President and Congress deal with each of the following issues in the next year? Will it be extremely important, very important, moderately important, or not that important? . . ."

		Extremely important	Very important	Moderately important	Not that important
		%	%	%	%
	"The economy"
	1/22-24/10	61	36	3	1

	"Unemployment" N=508 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5
	1/22-24/10	58	36	4	1

	"The federal budget deficit" N=501 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
	1/22-24/10	46	37	13	4

	"Taxes" N=501 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
	1/22-24/10	33	36	27	4

Quinnipiac University Poll. Jan. 5-11, 2010. N=1,767 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.3.

"Do you think President Obama has been spending too much time on the economy, not enough time on the economy, or about the right amount of time on the economy?"

		Too much	Not enough	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/5-11/10	5	47	42	6

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Jan. 8-10, 2010. N=1,021 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, last year Congress passed and President Obama signed a bill that attempted to stimulate the economy by increasing federal government spending and cutting taxes at a total cost to the government of about eight hundred billion dollars. Based on what you have read or heard about this, do you favor or oppose that bill?" 2009: "As you may know, Congress passed and President Obama has signed a bill that will attempt to stimulate the economy by increasing federal government spending and cutting taxes at a total cost to the government of about eight hundred billion dollars. Based on what you have read or heard about this, do you favor or oppose that bill?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/8-10/10	42	56	3
	3/12-15/09	54	44	2
	2/18-19/09	60	39	1

"Now here are some other questions about that bill, which is officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, although many people refer to it as the economic stimulus package. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view of the effect that bill has had on economic conditions around the country? It has improved economic conditions. Economic conditions have not improved, but it prevented conditions from becoming even worse. It had no effect on economic conditions. It has made economic conditions worse."

		Improved conditions	Prevented from becoming even worse	Had no effect	Made conditions worse
		%	%	%	%
	1/8-10/10	12	46	22	19

"Which of the following statements comes closest to your view of the effect that bill has had on your personal financial situation? It has improved your situation. Your situation has not improved, but it prevented conditions from becoming even worse. It had no effect on your situation. It has made your situation worse."

		Improved situation	Prevented from becoming even worse	Had no effect	Made situation worse
		%	%	%	%
	1/8-10/10	7	25	48	20

"And do you think that bill has helped, hurt, or had no effect on each of the following groups? . . ."

		Helped	Hurt	No effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Bankers and investors"
	1/8-10/10	54	23	22	1

	"Business executives"
	1/8-10/10	41	24	34	2

	"Low-income Americans"
	1/8-10/10	33	31	35	-

	"People who have lost a job in the last few years"
	1/8-10/10	31	36	33	-

	"High-income Americans"
	1/8-10/10	29	22	48	1

	"People in your community"
	1/8-10/10	25	30	45	1

	"Middle class Americans"
	1/8-10/10	25	38	36	1

"Do you think that the projects that the government has spent money on under that bill have mostly been useful projects that will benefit the economy, or have mostly been projects that were included in the bill for purely political reasons and will have no economic impact?" N=509 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Will benefit the economy	Will have no economic impact	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/8-10/10	36	63	1

"How much of the money spent under that bill so far do you think has been wasted: nearly all of it, most of it, about half of it, only a little of it, or none of it?" N=512 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Nearly all	Most of it	About half	Only a little	None
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/8-10/10	21	24	29	21	4

"Now I am going to read you a few provisions in that bill. For each one, please tell me whether you approve or disapprove of the use of federal funds for each one. . . ."

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Providing unemployment insurance and health insurance to people who have lost their jobs"
	1/8-10/10	83	17	-

	"Increased spending on construction on federal roads and bridges"
	1/8-10/10	80	20	1

	"Tax cuts for many Americans"
	1/8-10/10	70	29	1

	"Increased spending on trains, buses and other forms of mass transit"
	1/8-10/10	62	38	-

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Dec. 4-8, 2009. N=1,031 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Regardless of how you usually vote, do you think the Republican Party or the Democratic Party is more likely to create new jobs?"

		Republican Party	Democratic Party	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/4-8/09	31	42	3	11	13

"From what you know so far, which comes closest to your own view? The economic stimulus package has already created a substantial number of new jobs in the U.S. OR, It will create a substantial number of new jobs but hasn't done that yet. OR, It will not create a substantial number of new jobs."

		It has created jobs	It will create jobs	It will not create jobs	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/4-8/09	6	44	45	5
	11/13-16/09	7	46	42	5
	9/19-23/09	7	52	38	3
	7/24-28/09	4	53	41	2

"Over the next year, do you think the job market in your area will get better, get worse, or stay about the same?"

		Better	Worse	About the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/4-8/09	39	18	41	2

"In your own community, just from what you've seen or heard, do you think the jobs that your community has lost in this recession will probably come back when the economy improves, or do you think they were jobs that will probably never come back?"

		Will come back	Will never come back	Some will/ Some won't (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/4-8/09	52	35	10	3

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. Dec. 3-7, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"For each of the following, please indicate how much threat the situation poses to economic performance in the U.S. over the next two years. . . ."

		High threat	Medium threat	Low threat	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Persistently high unemployment"
	12/3-7/09	81	16	3	-

	"Chronically high budget deficits"
	12/3-7/09	70	23	5	2

	"Expansion of the government's role in the economy"
	12/3-7/09	55	25	17	3

	"Trade barriers or tariffs"
	12/3-7/09	34	40	19	7

	"Higher taxes"
	12/3-7/09	58	25	16	1

	"Limits on carbon emissions to combat global warming"
	12/3-7/09	22	30	43	5

"For each of the following, please tell me if you are mostly optimistic or mostly pessimistic. . . ."

		Mostly optimistic	Mostly pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"That the U.S. government will help reduce unemployment"
	12/3-7/09	47	51	2

	"That the government will reduce the deficit in the years ahead"
	12/3-7/09	37	61	2

"When you think about the current economic situation, do you believe it is mostly the result of decisions which President Obama inherited, or mostly the result of his policies?"

		Mostly inherited	Mostly his policies	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-7/09	59	32	9

"Please tell me if you favor or oppose each of the following ways the federal government could address the unemployment rate. . . ."

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Give businesses a tax credit for each new person they hire"
	12/3-7/09	68	28	4

	"Increase spending on alternative energy"
	12/3-7/09	60	37	3

	"Send federal money to the states to prevent layoffs in state and local governments"
	12/3-7/09	48	49	3

	"Spend more money on education for unemployed workers to improve their skills to qualify for better jobs"
	12/3-7/09	70	27	3

	"Cut income taxes across the board to spur economic growth"
	12/3-7/09	63	33	4

	"Spend money on public works such as roads and bridges"
	12/3-7/09	66	32	2

"I'm going to mention some specific government programs that add significantly to the federal deficit. For each, please tell me if the spending is justified and should be continued, was justified but should be cut dramatically, or is not justified at all. . . ."

		Justified, continued	Justified, cut dramatically	Not justified at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"The Medicare drug program"
	12/3-7/09	71	11	12	6

	"Tax cuts for the very wealthy"
	12/3-7/09	27	12	60	1

	"The war in Afghanistan"
	12/3-7/09	45	26	26	3

	"The war in Iraq"
	12/3-7/09	32	30	36	2

	"The stimulus package passed earlier this year"
	12/3-7/09	33	23	39	5

	"Government assistance to the auto industry"
	12/3-7/09	17	27	55	1

	"Government assistance to the banking industry"
	12/3-7/09	11	28	58	3

"Now, I'm going to mention some major economic and political figures and groups. For each, please tell me how you feel about them in their current roles -- are you very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable? If you don't know enough to give your feelings, just say so. . . ."

		Very favorable	Mostly favorable	Mostly unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of the United States"
	12/3-7/09	7	26	17	9	41

	"Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the U.S. Treasury"
	12/3-7/09	6	20	17	16	41

	"The Federal Reserve"
	12/3-7/09	10	40	18	8	24

"[Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?] ... Do you approve or disapprove of the job he is doing with [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"The economy"
	12/3-7/09	45	50	5
	9/10-14/09	50	45	5

	"The budget deficit"
	12/3-7/09	35	57	8
	9/10-14/09	38	55	7

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Nov. 13-15, 2009. N=1,014 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Which of the following comes closer to your view of the budget deficit? The government should run a deficit if necessary when the country is in a recession and is at war. OR, The government should balance the budget even when the country is in a recession and is at war."

		Run a deficit	Balance the budget	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/13-15/09	30	67	4
	1/12-15/09	33	65	1

"Do you think Barack Obama's policies have improved economic conditions, worsened economic conditions, or had no effect on economic conditions in the country?" N=513 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Improved	Worsened	No effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/13-15/09	36	28	35	2
	8/28-31/09	39	34	27	1
	5/14-17/09	37	23	40	-

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Oct. 22-25, 2009. N=1,009 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Over the past nine months, the government has taken a series of measures that were intended to help improve economic conditions. Do you think the government has done about the right amount, has done too much, or has not done enough?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4

		Right amount	Too much	Not enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	27	30	36	7

"Which of the following two statements comes closer to your point of view? Statement A: The President and the Congress should worry more about boosting the economy even though it may mean larger budget deficits now and in the future. Statement B: The President and the Congress should worry more about keeping the budget deficit down, even though it may mean it will take longer for the economy to recover." Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4

		Boosting economy	Keeping deficit down	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	31	62	3	4
	9/17-20/09	30	62	4	4
	6/12-15/09	35	58	2	5

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Oct. 15-18, 2009. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Which of these do you think is more important right now: increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy, even if it sharply increases the federal budget deficit; or avoiding a big increase in the federal budget deficit, even if it means not increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy?" Options rotated

		Increase spending	Avoid big deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/15-18/09	38	57	5
	7/15-18/09	40	55	5
	3/26-29/09	49	47	5
	1/13-16/09	51	44	4

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 19-23, 2009. N=1,042 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Regardless of how you usually vote, who do you think is more likely to make the right decisions about the nation's economy: Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress?"

		Barack Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	53	27	1	9	10
	7/24-28/09	56	25	3	9	7
	4/1-5/09	63	20	2	8	7

"In the long run, do you think the federal government's stimulus package will make the economy better, will make the economy worse, or will it have no impact on the economy in the long run?"

		Better	Worse	No impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	47	21	24	8
	7/24-28/09	44	22	28	6
	7/9-12/09	42	21	29	8

"As you may know, one of Barack Obama's campaign promises last year was that he would not raise taxes on households earning less than $250,000 a year. Do you think he will be able to keep that campaign promise, or not?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	35	56	9

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. Sept. 10-14, 2009. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"For each of the following, please tell me if you are mostly optimistic or mostly pessimistic. . . ."

		Mostly optimistic	Mostly pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"The U.S. government's economic plan"
	9/10-14/09	46	48	6

	"The ability of the government to help the economy recover and grow"
	9/10-14/09	54	44	2

	"The ability of the government's stimulus program to create jobs"
	9/10-14/09	49	48	3

"Which president has provided better economic leadership for the U.S.: President Barack Obama, or former president George W. Bush?"

		Obama	Bush	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	55	28	17

"How confident are you that Barack Obama's economic team will be able to fix the problems that caused the nation's financial crisis? Are you very confident, fairly confident, just somewhat confident, or not confident?"

		Very confident	Fairly confident	Just somewhat confident	Not confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	16	22	28	33	1

"Which do you think would do the most good to help the economy: more government spending even if it means a bigger budget deficit, or cutting spending even at the risk of a longer-lasting recession?"

		More spending	Cutting spending	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	28	62	10

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 11-13, 2009. N=1,030 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"All in all, would you say that what Barack Obama's economic policies have made the economy better, made it worse, or made no difference?"

		Better	Worse	No difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	43	25	30	1

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 10-12, 2009. N=1,007 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"How confident are you that the federal government is putting measures into place that will make another financial crisis less likely in the future? Are you very confident of that, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Half sample

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	10	39	23	27	1

"How confident are you that financial institutions will change their business practices in a way that makes another financial crisis less likely in the future? Are you very confident of that, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Half sample

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	8	33	27	30	2

"How much blame do you think the Bush administration, for inadequate regulation of the financial industry, deserves for the country's economic situation: a great deal, a good amount, only some or hardly any?"

		A Great Deal	A Good Amount	Only Some	Hardly Any	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	40	25	23	10	1
	7/15-18/09	42	20	23	11	1
	3/26-29/09	47	23	21	7	1

"How much blame do you think the Obama administration, for not doing enough to turn the economy around, deserves for the country's economic situation: a great deal, a good amount, only some or hardly any?"

		A Great Deal	A Good Amount	Only Some	Hardly Any	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	13	15	33	34	4
	7/15-18/09	14	17	28	34	4
	3/26-29/09	13	13	27	39	6

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. Sept. 3-8, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Thinking about the stimulus package that was approved by Congress in February to help improve the economy, do you think that the stimulus package has helped bring about improvements to the economy, did even more damage to the economy than would have happened otherwise, had no real effect on the condition of the economy, or it's too early to tell?"

		Helped	Did More Damage	Had No Real Effect	Too Early To Tell	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	17	21	21	40	1
	7/16-20/09	7	22	24	47	1
	4/16-20/09	10	18	14	57	1

"How confident are you that the stimulus package will work to bring about significant improvements in the U.S. economy: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	10	30	27	32	1
	7/16-20/09	9	33	30	28	-

"How much do you blame each of the following for the recession? How much would you blame [see below] for the current financial crisis: a lot, quite a bit, some, only a little, or none at all?"

		A Lot	Quite a Bit	Some	Only a Little	None at All
		%	%	%	%	%

	"The banks and lenders that made risky loans"
	9/3-8/09	63	16	14	3	4

	"The federal government for failing to regulate banks closely enough"
	9/3-8/09	52	16	17	7	7

	"The people who borrowed money that they could not afford to repay"
	9/3-8/09	48	17	20	9	6

	"President George W. Bush"
	9/3-8/09	40	14	26	11	9

	"President Barack Obama"
	9/3-8/09	13	7	19	14	47

	"President Bill Clinton"
	9/3-8/09	12	7	26	17	37

"How confident are you that the federal government has taken enough steps to ensure that a meltdown of the financial industry could not happen again in this country: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	3	27	38	32	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Aug. 28-31, 2009. N=1,010 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think the Republicans in Congress or the Democrats in Congress would do a better job of dealing with each of the following issues and problems? . . ." N=508 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Republicans	Democrats	No difference (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"The economy"
	8/28-31/09	39	52	8	1
	10/20-22/06	41	53	5	2

	"Taxes"
	8/28-31/09	47	47	6	-

	"The federal budget deficit"
	8/28-31/09	46	46	6	2

"Do you generally support or oppose President Obama's overall economic plan?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/28-31/09	52	46	2
	6/26-28/09	58	39	2
	3/12-15/09	65	34	1

"What is your view of the Cash for Clunkers program, which allowed people to trade in cars with low gas mileage and get about four thousand dollars off the purchase of a new car? Would you describe that program as a success or a failure?"

		Success	Failure	Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/28-31/09	55	40	3	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. July 24-28, 2009. N=1,050 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think the federal government's stimulus package has made the economy in your local community better, made the economy in your local community worse, or has it had no impact on the economy in your local community so far?"

		Better	Worse	No Impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	19	12	65	4

"In the long run, do you think the federal government's stimulus package will make the economy in your local community better, will make the economy in your local community worse, or will it have no impact on the economy in your local community in the long run?"

		Better	Worse	No Impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	44	13	37	6

"Earlier this year, Congress passed a nearly 800 billion dollar stimulus package in order to get the economy back on track. Some people say the stimulus package was not large enough, others say it was too large. In the months ahead, if things continue the way they are now, would you favor or oppose the government spending additional money on another stimulus package?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	27	65	8

"Which comes closer to your own view? The federal government should spend money to stimulate the national economy, even if it means increasing the budget deficit. OR, The federal government should NOT spend money to stimulate the national economy and should instead focus on reducing the budget deficit."

		Stimulate Economy	Reduce Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	35	58	7
	7/9-12/09	33	61	6
	6/12-16/09	41	52	7

"In order to reduce the federal budget deficit, would you be willing or not willing for the government to provide fewer services, in areas such as health care, education and defense spending?"

		Willing	Not Willing	Some Areas, Not Others (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	31	53	11	5

"In order to reduce the federal budget deficit, would you be willing or not willing to pay more in taxes?"

		Willing	Not Willing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	41	56	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 17-19, 2009. N=1,006 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, we'd like you to think about Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan passed earlier this year and its effect on the U.S. economy, both in the short term and in the long term. First, up until now, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan has made the economy better, not had an effect, or made the economy worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	28	49	21	2

"In the long term, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan will make the economy better, not have an effect, or make the economy worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	48	19	31	2

"Next, please think about the effect Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan will have on your family's financial situation in the short term and in the long term. First, up until now, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan has made your financial situation better, not had an effect, or made your financial situation worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	14	64	22	1

"In the long term, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan will make your financial situation better, not have an effect, or make your financial situation worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	35	28	34	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 15-18, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Do you think Obama is placing too much of a priority on the economy, too little, or about the right amount?"

		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	9	29	58	3

"Do you think Obama is placing too much of a priority on the federal budget deficit, too little, or about the right amount?"

		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	13	39	44	4

"How confident are you that Obama's economic program will improve the economy: very confident, fairly confident, not very confident or not confident at all?"

		Very Confident	Fairly Confident	Not Very Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	22	34	17	26	1
	3/26-29/09	23	41	18	17	1
	1/13-16/09	23	48	17	11	-

"Would you support or oppose additional federal spending above the 787 billion dollars already set aside to try to stimulate the economy? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	18	17	18	43	3

"Would you support or oppose new federal spending of about 800 billion dollars on tax cuts, construction projects, energy, education, and health care to try to stimulate the economy? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	43	27	9	17	3

"Which of these statements comes closer to your view? Beneath it all, Obama is an old-style, tax-and-spend Democrat. OR, Obama is a new-style Democrat who will be careful with the public's money." Options rotated

		Old-Style	New-Style	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	43	52	3	2
	6/18-21/09	36	58	4	3
	3/26-29/09	32	62	3	3

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by FD. July 9-13, 2009. N=800 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"And, when thinking about the economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, how confident are you that it will be successful in turning around the economy: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?" N=395 (Form A), MoE ą 4.9

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	8	31	24	35	2
	6/4-7/09	14	38	23	24	2
	4/23-26/09	12	45	15	26	2
	3/26-29/09	14	43	21	20	3

"First, when thinking about the economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, how confident are you that it will be successful in creating jobs: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?" N=405 (Form B), MoE ą 4.9

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	11	37	22	30	2

"As you may know, there's been some discussion about the potential for another stimulus package that would be designed to provide more economic stimulus to the economy. If there was a proposal for another stimulus package, would you support it or oppose it?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	36	52	12

"And, if you had to choose between a quicker economic recovery with a higher federal deficit, or a slower economic recovery and a lower deficit, which would you prefer?" Options rotated

		Quicker Recovery/ Higher Deficit	Slower Recovery/ Lower Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	23	71	6

CBS News Poll. July 9-12, 2009. N=944 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Would you find it acceptable or not acceptable to raise the deficit in the short term to try to create jobs and stimulate growth?"

		Acceptable	Not acceptable	Not necessary (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	63	31	1	5

"In your opinion, does the federal budget deficit affect your own family's financial situation, or not?"

		Does	Does not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	67	31	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. June 12-16, 2009. N=895 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"So far, do you think Barack Obama's policies have made the economy better, made the economy worse, or haven't his policies had any effect on the economy yet?"

		Better	Worse	No effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	32	15	48	5

"As you may know, the budget deficit is the shortfall when the amount of money the government spends is more than the amount of money it takes in. How much have you heard or read about the federal government's current budget deficit: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?"

		A lot	Some	Not much	Nothing
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	38	36	20	6

"So far, do you think the Obama Administration has developed a clear plan for dealing with the current budget deficit, or hasn't it developed one yet?"

		Has a plan	Doesn't have a plan yet	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	30	60	10

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). June 12-15, 2009. N=1,008 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"And how confident are you that Barack Obama has the right set of goals and policies to improve the economy: extremely confident, quite confident, only somewhat confident, or not at all confident?"

		Extremely Confident	Quite Confident	Only Somewhat Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	20	26	24	29	1

"Do you think that the recently passed economic stimulus legislation is a good idea or a bad idea? If you do not have an opinion either way, please just say so."

		Good Idea	Bad Idea	Do Not Have Opinion	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	37	39	20	4
	4/23-26/09	38	39	18	5
	2/26 - 3/1/09	44	36	15	5

"Which ONE of the following groups do you feel is most responsible for the federal budget deficit: the Bush administration, the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress, or the Obama administration?" If more than one: "Well, if you had to choose just ONE, who would you say is MOST responsible?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4

		Bush Administration	Democrats in Congress	Republicans in Congress	Obama Administration	All (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	46	21	7	6	20

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. May 21-24, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"All in all, do you think the government is on the right track or the wrong track in the way it is handling economic problems facing the nation?"

		Right track	Wrong track	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/21-24/09	53	39	8
	3/27-30/09	50	39	11
	2/20-23/09	47	34	19
	1/16-19/09	31	48	21

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. April 16-20, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Overall, please tell me whether you approve, disapprove, or neither approve nor disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling the economy?" If neither: "If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approving or disapproving of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling the economy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	50	45	4	1
	2/12-17/09	49	45	4	2

"Overall, please tell me whether you approve, disapprove, or neither approve nor disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling the economy?" If neither: "If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approving or disapproving of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling the economy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	29	65	4	1
	2/12-17/09	33	59	5	4

"When it comes to solving the country's economic problems, how much do you think Barack Obama is doing to cooperate with the Republicans in Congress? Is he doing too much, not enough, or about the right amount?"

		Too much	Not enough	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	8	36	53	2
	2/12-17/09	6	30	62	2

"When it comes to solving the country's economic problems, how much do you think Republicans in Congress are doing to cooperate with Barack Obama? Are they doing too much, not enough, or about the right amount?"

		Too much	Not enough	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	7	65	25	3
	2/12-17/09	5	64	27	4

"When it comes to improving the economy, do you think it is realistic to expect at least some noticeable results in the first year of the Obama administration, or do you think it will take longer than that to see any noticeable results?"

		Some in first year	Longer than that	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	27	72	1
	1/9-14/09	27	72	1

Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor National Survey conducted by FD. April 8-14, 2009. N=1,200 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.8.

"As you know, economists generally agree that the U.S. economy is in a recession. I would like to read you two different opinions about the U.S. economy when it recovers from the recession. Which ONE of these statements comes closer to your OWN opinion? When the U.S. economy recovers, the way the economy looks and works will be very different from what it was before the recession. When the U.S. economy recovers, things will be more or less be the same as they were before the recession." Options rotated

		Very different	The same	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	69	27	5

"And, who do you trust more to develop solutions to the country's economic challenges: President Obama OR Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		President Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	55	26	3	12	5

Gallup Poll. April 6-9, 2009. N=1,027 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As I read some names and groups, please tell me how much confidence you have in each to do or to recommend the right thing for the economy: a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or almost none. How about [see below]?"

		Great Deal	Fair Amount	Only a Little	Almost None	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke"
	4/6-9/09	7	42	19	16	17
	4/6-9/08	8	39	20	14	19

	"Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner"
	4/6-9/09	9	38	18	21	14

Pew Research Center Poll. March 31-April 6, 2009. N=1,506 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"How much confidence do you have in [see below] to do the right thing when it comes to fixing the economy: a great deal of confidence, a fair amount of confidence, not too much confidence, or no confidence at all?" N=750 (Form 1), MoE ą 4

		A Great Deal	A Fair Amount	Not Too Much	None at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Barack Obama"
	3/31 - 4/6/09	32	38	13	13	4

	"Democratic leaders in Congress"
	3/31 - 4/6/09	17	38	21	19	5

	"Republican leaders in Congress"
	3/31 - 4/6/09	7	31	33	24	5

"Do you think Barack Obama has explained clearly his policies for improving the economy, or do you think he has not explained his policies clearly enough?" N=756 (Form 2), MoE ą 4

		Has	Has Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	54	34	12

"Do you think Republicans in Congress have explained clearly why they oppose Obama's economic policies, or have they not explained their position clearly enough?" N=756 (Form 2), MoE ą 4

		Have	Have Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	25	59	16

"Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic that Barack Obama's policies will improve economic conditions in the country?" N=756 (Form 2), MoE ą 4

		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	66	26	8

"Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic that Barack Obama's policies will reduce the budget deficit over the long term?" N=756 (Form 2), MoE ą 4

		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	54	36	10

"If you were setting priorities these days, would you place a higher priority on spending more to make health care more accessible and affordable, or reducing the budget deficit?" Options rotated

		Spending More	Reducing Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	59	35	6

"If you were setting priorities these days, would you place a higher priority on spending more to improve the education system, or reducing the budget deficit?" Options rotated

		Spending More	Reducing Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	58	38	4

"If you were setting priorities these days, would you place a higher priority on spending more to develop new energy technology, or reducing the budget deficit?" Options rotated

		Spending More	Reducing Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/31 - 4/6/09	49	45	6

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. April 3-5, 2009. N=1,023 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think Barack Obama does or does not have a clear plan for solving the country's economic problems?"

		Does	Does not
		%	%
	4/3-5/09	58	42

"Do you think the Republicans in Congress do or do not have a clear plan for solving the country's economic problems?"

		Do	Do not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/3-5/09	24	74	2

Earlier polling on budget, taxes, economic policy

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