(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Adults in the United States believe an across-the-board tax cut for every person is required at this time, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 51 per cent of respondents favour this idea, while 34 per cent oppose it.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Adults in the United States believe an across-the-board tax cut for every person is required at this time, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 51 per cent of respondents favour this idea, while 34 per cent oppose it.
Since 2007, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—in the U.S. caused volatility in domestic and global financial markets and ultimately pushed the U.S. economy into a recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The crisis has affected the global financial and credit systems, and triggered layoffs in companies around the world.
Last year, the federal government—then under the leadership of U.S. president George W. Bush—took control of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other financial institutions—including Bear Stearns, Merril Lynch, Lehman Brothers, American International Group (AIG), IndyMac Bancorp and Washington Mutual—have been sold, placed under bankruptcy protection, or received emergency loans from the Federal Reserve.
The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 9.4 per cent in February 2009, up from 4.9 per cent in January 2008 and the highest level in 26 years.
On Jun. 8, U.S. president Barack Obama discussed his fiscal policies, saying, "We’ve got more work to do. The biggest concern that I have moving forward is that the toll that job losses take on individual families and communities can be self-reinforcing. People lose jobs, they pull back on spending, that means businesses don’t have customers, and suddenly you start seeing more job lay-offs."
Polling Data
Would you favour or oppose an across-the-board tax cut for all Americans?
|
Favour |
51% |
|
Oppose |
34% |
|
Not sure |
15% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 likely American voters, conducted on Jun. 8 and Jun. 9, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
