Poll: Majority Trusts Government, Not Business, To Fix Economy
As you regulars know, one narrative this blog has been tracking is whether President Obama is well on his way to breaking the “big government versus small government” frame that has held a stranglehold on our discourse for so long.
Today, a new Gallup Poll has some fascinating numbers that paint a mixed picture of whether this is happening. Click to enlarge:
Overall, a majority trust government, not U.S. businesses, to “solve the United States’ economic problems,” and more independents trust government, too. A huge majority of Republicans feels the opposite way.
That said, there are some numbers in here which suggest a complex picture. More think the government is doing “too much” than think it “should do more,” though Gallup found that the margin between the two has significantly narrowed in the past two years.
Also, more think the federal government has too much power than think it has too little — though the margin here, too, has significantly narrowed. On both these questions, there’s also a lopsided gap between how Republicans think and how others think.
Gallup’s conclusion is that there isn’t really a trend one way or the other yet, which suggests that the public isn’t registering any discomfort with the scale of Obama’s government activism or the speed with which he’s implementing it. Meanwhile, what’s really striking about the poll is that it shows a dramatically deepening divide between Republicans’ view of government’s proper role in their lives and non-Republicans’ view of it.
The homepage of this blog is here. Its RSS feed is here. And its Twitter feed is here.
Greg
.
This one is easy and I am surprised you didn’t pick up on it. The first instance is based on the financial/economic crisis. Thats why it accurately portrays that everyone but Republicans want the government to do more. The rest of the questions aren’t specific. With our over reach during the Bush years in regards to illegal wiretapping, torture, detention, and the war in Iraq its not at all surprising that people think the government has too much power or is doing too much. And the truth is a lot of people think President Obama so far hasn’t done enough to cleanly break away from some of those policies. To me that makes the rest of the polling a red herring. I certainly think the government had too much power with their being able to intercept my calls emails etc without my knowledge but I also certainly believe that goverenment needs to drive our economic recovery. About the only real take away is that Republicans don’t trust government as in every single poll their wanting the government to do more is in the teens.
Greg
.
I just got an email from JStreet that you might want to see.
sg, can you forward? sargentg@washpost.com
Business got us here. The Bush government also got us here – by doing nothing. Bush did not govern domestically. He gave cronies and donors positions and then ignored the whole thing to play soldier in the ME.
And thank heavens Americans are smart enough to have figured this one out.
About the only real take away is that Republicans don’t trust government as in every single poll their wanting the government to do more is in the teens.
This is why they failed spectacularly when they had the majority. IF you don’t believe in governmen,t how the hell can you govern effectively?
sent
I certainly think the government had too much power with their being able to intercept my calls emails etc without my knowledge but I also certainly believe that goverenment needs to drive our economic recovery.
Those are two different things. Size doesn’t necessarily equate with power.
I doubt many in the GOP have really thought this out, but it is where the difference between the two parties is clearest for me. The GOP screams about the size of government – not its power. It has no problem with the government exercising power over people.
While the Democrats love them some power, too, since that’s what it’s about, they have a bit of this. But the basis of the difference is that the Democrats see government as a way to deal with problems because it is big enough to reach everyone and it is the only institution that is big enough. The GOP only sees government as a power tool to be used by the powerful to keep power and amass more.
I think you will find a difference if you don’t lump Government’s differening roles into one. The role of Government is to provide security and an environment in which we can be “all we can be” as the saying goes. President Obama is not so much worrying about the economy, security etc as he is in remaking the government into a secular socialist government. That’s where the differences show up. Historically the dems have been for more government involvement and the republicans for less but the changes that the president has in mind go way over the line in an attempt to destroy the democratic republic and replace it with some form of socialism (and will take God out of the public sphere in the process). That is a formula for failure.
The republicans have, in general, tended to toe the conservative line although there are differences of opinion among the fiscal and social conservatives. A conservative, in general follows these tenants: respect for life (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), respect for the constitution, smaller government (stay out of the state’s business and don’t be a nanny state) and personal responsibility. Those are consistent with the basic core values upon which this country was founded. These are also the antithesis of that espoused by the democrat party.
but the changes that the president has in mind go way over the line in an attempt to destroy the democratic republic and replace it with some form of socialism (and will take God out of the public sphere in the process). That is a formula for failure.
President Obama believes in God, you nitwit. He’s no Socialist.
I on the other hand, don’t believe in God. And I’ve been to Europe and guess what? It rocks. They live very well indeed. In fact, they enjoy life in ways we don’t.
The Democratic Republic was under attack from your theocrats. People like you want America to be a theocracy. The rest of the GOP just wants it to be a GOP police state.
So there you have it – you think we’re destroying America cause we’re Socialists; you actually did destroy America through the Conservative Movement – we tried it your way. You wrecked everything.
You lose.
Great job representing Republican trolls everywhere Al Wunsch. Notice that you can’t even make a case for your own party/governing philosophy without casting aspersions. NICE!
“…there’s also a lopsided gap between how Republicans think and how others think.”
.
Yep, I think that pretty much sums up MOST ISSUES of the day between the nutwing party and those who live in the “reality-based” community.
.
P.S. I think Meghan McCain (and her father for that matter) should strive to learn a litte something about economics before she/they go on FoxNews today and runs off the rails about how “scary” Obama’s second stimulus bill ALREADY IS — even though it hasn’t been written yet.
Apropos of nothing… I was marveling at how deftly President Obama dismantles silly Washington meme’s every time he gives a speech. It’s like he has to continually teach us (remember he was a professor) about why the stuff they spout on the Senate floor and Fox News is so utterly stupid.
.
(We could add Michael Scherer at Time, Mike Allen at Politico, and Howard Fineman at Newsweek that that Fox News bunch too.)
.
In any case, I absolutely love when he takes down his media/political critics by simply pointing out how ridiculous, contradictory, hypocritical, unintelligent, etc. their memes are.
Al Wunsch – You know what the 3d largest “religious” group in America is, just behind the Evanglists and the Catholics? Atheists and Agnostics.
We’re 15% of the population. I think we have a stake in this country. In fact, I think we’re the Silent Minority who gets spit on and it’s time we stood up for ourselves and got the rest of you to take your religion back to your churches and temples and get it and keep it the hell out of my government. And gee, isn’t is convenient for me that the Constitution of the United States agrees with me?
Sorry about the typos on the last post– I’ve fixed them here.
Apropos of nothing… I was marveling at how deftly President Obama dismantles silly Washington memes every time he gives a speech. It’s like he has to continually teach us (remember he was a professor) about why the stuff they spout on the Senate floor and Fox News is so utterly stupid.
.
(We could add Michael Scherer at Time, Mike Allen at Politico, and Howard Fineman at Newsweek to that Fox News bunch too.)
.
In any case, I absolutely love when he takes down his media/political critics by simply pointing out how ridiculous, contradictory, hypocritical, unintelligent, etc. their memes are.
P.S. I think Meghan McCain (and her father for that matter)
I think Meghan and her father are about on par intellectually, which is to say, they ain’t. Intelligent just isn’t in that gene pool.
It’s like he has to continually teach us
Obama has the patience of Job and he definitely needs it. He’s a brilliant man and it’s only his compassion that allows him to lead a nation of slow learners.
Actually, I believe this is the Universe of Slow Learners and Goddess, please, reincarnate me outta here next time!
tena– LMAO, thanks for that!
Tena, you’re on FIRE today!
I am a strong liberal/progressive Democrat, and believe President Obama’s policies are taking America in the right direction. That said, although I disagree with what Al Wunsch had to say, I think he stated his position respectfully. There’s no need to call him names. Doing so only inflames the hatred we’ve seen over the past several decades.
Al, you state that “A conservative, in general follows these tenants: respect for life (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), respect for the constitution, smaller government (stay out of the state’s business and don’t be a nanny state) and personal responsibility.” (The word you want is “tenets,” by the way, not “tenants”.) Except for the smaller government/”nanny state” stuff, I think you’ll find that liberals/progressives agree 100% with that statement; as President Obama said, I couldn’t care less about the SIZE of government; I care that it WORKS. You would also find that liberals disagree with you on whether the last administration actually DID adhere to those principles; our conclusion is that it decidedly did NOT.
I am, incidentally, also an agnostic.
You and I do not agree that Obama is a socialist, and I believe that God SHOULD be taken “out of the public sphere.”
That said, I think you presented your opinions respectfully, and I think you deserve apologies for the name-calling.
hat said, I think you presented your opinions respectfully, and I think you deserve apologies for the name-calling.
I called him a nitwit and I by-gawd stand by it.
You may enjoy your height of self-righteousness. I have no apologies.
If you think this is a good way to get others to think about your positions and eventually agree with you, please think again. I’ve enjoyed most of your posts in the past, but have no interest in reading only put-downs of differing opinions. We have a president who I respect, who has tried hard to get past this sort of thing, and I believe he’s right. Go ahead and consider me whatever you like– I just ask that the conversation be tolerant. I disagree heartily with Al’s opinions, but it doesn’t do anyone any good to ridicule him. All you’ll do is cause moderates or conservatives who come to this site to mutter that they hear hatred from the “loony lefties,” or whatever phrase they care to use– and reinforce THEIR stereotype of liberals. I will be going offline to go pick up my daughter, and will not see any comment– polite or not– that you post.
All you’ll do is cause moderates or conservatives who come to this site to mutter that they hear hatred from the “loony lefties,” or whatever phrase they care to use– and reinforce THEIR stereotype of liberals. I will be going offline to go pick up my daughter, and will not see any comment– polite or not– that you post.
Are you talking to me, babygirl? Wow, what a tirade. In fact, honey, “nitwit” is so mild it’s laughable. If this site didn’t have a built-in censor, you would have gotten your Lil Mama ears burnt to a crisp, metaphorically speaking.
And do you really mean it when you say I have the POWER to turn off whole great swaths of otherwise Democratic voters? Really? O my gawd – I wonder else I can do?
Am I possibly an unself-aware SuperVillain? – that would be so cool – like a Cylon who doesn’t know it yet. Who’s got the Cylon detector on their iPhone – we need to know right now!
Silly lady.