(07/31/11) -

Most Americans Embarrassed by Lack of Deal on Debt Ceiling

Two-in-five respondents would raise the debt limit, even if it leads to higher government spending and a higher national debt.

Most adults in the United States are clearly disappointed with the way the discussions on raising the debt ceiling have evolved, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 American adults, 85 per cent of respondents consider it an embarrassment to America that the politicians in Washington have not reached an agreement on the federal debt ceiling.

In addition, 78 per cent of Americans believe that the image of the United States abroad has suffered greatly as a result of these discussions, and that the economic crisis in America will become greater if an agreement is not reached.

Across the country, three-in-four respondents (74%) have closely followed news stories related to the negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling.

The Politicians

The three main participants in the discussions are having a hard time connecting with the population. Only 38 per cent of Americans approve of the way President Barack Obama has dealt with the negotiations, just three-in-ten (29%) approve of how Speaker of the House John Boehner has performed, and one-in-five (21%) feel the same way about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

None of the three politicians has emerged as a true consensus builder, with 70 per cent of respondents thinking Obama deserves “most” or “some” of the blame for the failure of the negotiations. The figure is equally high for Boehner (73%) and Reid (71%).

Only 48 per cent of respondents are confident that an agreement will be reached before the Aug. 2 deadline.

Raising the Debt Limit

About two-in-five Americans (42%) would raise the debt limit, even if it leads to higher government spending and a higher national debt. Conversely, three-in-ten (31%) think the debt limit should not be raised, even if the government goes into default and the nation’s economy is hurt.

Democrats (57%) and Independents (43%) are more likely to side with the argument to raise the debt limit, while Republicans (46%) would prefer not to raise the current level—along with respondents who agree with the core policies of the National Tea Party movement (51%).

The Deficit

Half of Americans (50%)—including 74 per cent of Republicans, 70 per cent of Tea Party Movement endorsers, and 49 per cent of Independents—think the best way to reduce the budget deficit is to cut existing programs. Only 28 per cent of respondents—including 43 per cent of Democrats—would prefer to raise taxes.

The 2012 Election

Since an Angus Reid Public Opinion survey conducted in January 2011, there has been little change in the way Americans feel about the 2012 presidential race. More than a third of respondents (37%) would either vote or are leaning towards voting for the Democratic nominee, while 29 per cent would vote or are considering voting for the Republican nominee.

Analysis

The survey shows an American public that has become desperate for answers, overly embarrassed by their politicians, and deeply troubled about two issues: the possibility of the economic crisis worsening, and permanent damage to America’s image overseas.

It is evident that there are no political winners in the debt ceiling debate. The three main politicians are keeping the base content, but are not succeeding in getting their message across. More than two-thirds of Americans blame them all equally for the failure of the negotiations, and none of them can get the endorsement of two-in-five Americans on their performance.

As expected, Tea Party followers are calling for cuts to existing programs and a decision to keep the debt limit as is, along with most Republicans. Democrats flatly reject these two choices, but Independents are split. They tend to side more with the argument to raise the debt limit, but are more likely to call for cuts to existing programs.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 29 to July 30, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,012 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.