Most Blame Politicians' Un-Willingness To Cut Spending For State Budget Crises

From Rasmussen Reports and Liberty Pulse:

Most Blame Politicians’ Unwillingness to Cut Spending for State Budget Crises


Friday, October 22, 2010 Email to a Friend ShareThis.Advertisement

Many states are currently in a budget crisis, and most Americans think politicians, not taxpayers, are to blame.



Seventy-eight percent (78%) think politicians’ unwillingness to reduce government spending is to blame for the budget crises in many states. Just 13% think taxpayers’ unwillingness to pay more in taxes is to blame. This sentiment has held steady from July, when 75% felt politicians were more to blame.



In February, 83% blamed the federal budget deficit on politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending. In May of last year, 77% said politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending is the bigger problem in America today.



An overwhelming majority (73%) say politicians are more willing to raise taxes than to cut government spending. Nineteen percent (19%) say politicians are more willing to cut government spending. (To see survey question wording, click here.)



While majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say politicians are to blame for budget crises, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to put the blame on taxpayers.



Americans are opposed to individual states receiving federal bailout money, which is no surprise considering that 39% of voters still say the $787 billion stimulus plan hurt the economy, and 55% oppose a second stimulus plan.



Roughly half (48%) of Americans oppose the federal government providing bailout money for states with serious financial problems. Twenty-eight percent (28%) think the government should provide bailout to struggling states, but nearly as many (24%) are not sure.



Sixty-four percent (64%) of Republicans do not think the government should provide bailout funding for financially strapped states, while 47% of Democrats do think the fed should provide bailout money. Americans not affiliated with either major political party favor bailout funding for states by a 47% to 27% margin.



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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 19-20, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.



Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Americans have been following news of state budget problems at least somewhat closely, including 39% who have been following Very Closely. Twenty-two percent (22%) have not been following, including four percent (4%) who have not been following stories about state budget problems at all.



A sizable majority of Americans say their states are now having major budget problems, and they think spending cuts, not higher taxes, are the solution. But most expect their taxes to be raised in the next year anyway.



Most Americans would not pay higher taxes for specific public services in their states, but they are more supportive of paying for education and staffing law enforcement than supporting state employees and entitlement programs.



Most U.S. voters still feel lower taxes - and less government spending - are part of the solution to the nation's economic problems. But they also tend to think taxes and spending will rise during the Obama years.



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Rasmussen Reports is an electronic media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion polling information. We poll on a variety of topics in the fields of politics, business and lifestyle, updating our site’s content on a news cycle throughout the day, everyday.



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Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade. To learn more about our methodology, click here.



The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 19-20, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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