Budget/Taxes

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Budget, Taxes, Economic Policy

	See also: Business \| Economic outlook \| Obama's ratings on the economy, deficit, etc.

Gallup Poll. May 20-21, 2013. N=1,016 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4. See also: Political groups seeking tax-exempt status

"How would you rate the job being done by the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS? Would you say it is doing an excellent, good, only fair, or poor job?"

		Excellent	Good	Only fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/20-21/13	6	21	29	42	3
	7/10-12/09	5	35	36	20	5
	9/8-10/03	6	38	38	15	3

"Next we have some questions about the Internal Revenue Service -- also known as the IRS -- which is the federal agency that collects taxes. First, which of the following statements concerning IRS power do you agree with more? The IRS has been given about the right amount of power to do the job it is charged with carrying out. OR, The IRS has been given more power than it needs to do the job it is charged with carrying out." Options rotated. N=493 (Form B), margin of error ą 6.

		Right amount	More than it needs	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/20-21/13	31	62	7
	9/25-28/97	23	73	4

"Still thinking about the powers the IRS has been given to do its job, do you think the IRS generally uses its powers responsibly, or do you think it frequently abuses its powers?" Options rotated. N=493 (Form B), margin of error ą 6.

		Uses responsibly	Frequently abuses	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/20-21/13	34	60	6
	9/25-28/97	27	69	4

CBS News/New York Times Poll. April 24-28, 2013. N=965 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Overall, what do you think is the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit -- by cutting federal spending, by increasing taxes, or by a combination of both?"

		Cutting spending	Increasing taxes	Combination of both	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/24-28/13	36	3	57	4
	3/20-24/13	34	2	58	6
	3/1-3/13	35	5	56	5
	2/6-10/13	32	3	59	5
	1/11-15/13	33	3	61	3

"As you may know, automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs are in effect because President Obama and Republicans in Congress could not agree on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit. These automatic spending cuts are commonly referred to as the Sequester. Do you think these cuts will help the economy, hurt the economy, or will they not have much effect on the economy one way or the other?"

		Help	Hurt	Not have much effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/24-28/13	10	46	35	9

"Have you personally been affected by the spending cuts in the Sequester, or not?" If yes: "Have you been affected a great deal, or only somewhat?"

		Yes: A great deal	Yes: Only Somewhat	No	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/24-28/13	8	19	69	4

Pew Research Center. April 25-28, 2013. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"As you may know, the Federal Aviation Administration's budget was cut as part of across-the-board reductions in federal spending and there have been delays at airports across the country. Who do you think is more to blame for this situation: Republicans in Congress or the Obama administration?" Options rotated

		Republicans in Congress	Obama administration	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/25-28/13	34	32	10	4	20

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. April 11-15, 2013. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.9.

"The following are ways that some people have proposed making cuts in government spending to reduce the federal budget deficit. For each one, please tell me if you favor, oppose or neither favor nor oppose it as a way of reducing the federal budget deficit. . . ."

		Favor	Oppose	Neither	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Gradually raising the age at which people become eligible for Medicare benefits"
	4/11-15/13	30	59	10	1	1
	1/10-14/13	35	53	10	2	-
	11/29 - 12/3/12	40	48	9	3	-

	"Changing the way Social Security benefits are calculated so that annual increases are smaller"
	4/11-15/13	26	54	15	4	1
	1/10-14/13	30	49	16	5	1
	11/29 - 12/3/12	30	49	15	6	-

	"Raising Medicare premiums for high-income recipients" N=488
	4/11-15/13	51	30	15	2	2
	1/10-14/13	60	25	12	3	-

	"Reducing Medicare benefits for seniors with higher incomes" N=516
	4/11-15/13	36	45	13	4	2
	11/18-22/10	45	43	11	2	-

	"Requiring all Americans with incomes of one million dollars or more to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes"
	4/11-15/13	59	29	8	2	1

	"Limiting itemized tax deductions for people with incomes in the top 2 percent, that is, individuals earning $183,000 or more and married couples making $223,000 or more"
	4/11-15/13	45	33	14	6	1

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. April 11-14, 2013. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Automatic across-the-board cuts in federal spending have begun to take effect because Obama and the Republicans in Congress were unable to reach a budget agreement earlier this year. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of these budget cuts taking place?" 3/13: "Automatic across-the-board cuts in federal spending have begun to take effect because Obama and the Republicans in Congress were unable to reach a budget agreement last week. Overall do you approve or disapprove of these budget cuts taking place?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/11-14/13	35	57	8
	3/7-10/13	39	53	8

"Have you personally felt any negative impact of these budget cuts, or not?"

		Have	Have not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/11-14/13	33	65	2
	3/7-10/13	25	73	2

"As far as you know, do you have any close friends or relatives who have felt any negative impact of these budget cuts, or not?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/11-14/13	42	55	4

"Do you think these budget cuts are or are not hurting the economy?"

		Are	Are not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/11-14/13	63	28	8

"On another subject, do you support or oppose changing the way Social Security benefits are calculated so that benefits increase at a slower rate than they do now?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/11-14/13	37	51	11

Gallup Poll. April 4-7, 2013. N=1,005 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Do you consider the amount of federal income tax you have to pay as too high, about right, or too low?"

		Too high	About right	Too low	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/4-7/13	50	45	2	3
	4/9-12/12	46	47	3	4
	4/7-11/11	50	43	4	3
	4/8-11/10	48	45	3	4
	4/6-9/09	46	48	3	2
	4/6-9/08	52	42	2	4
	4/2-5/07	53	41	2	3
	4/10-13/06	48	44	2	5
	4/4-7/05	51	44	2	3
	4/04	50	43	3	4
	4/03	50	46	2	2
	1/03	47	50	1	2
	4/01	65	31	1	3
	4/00	63	33	1	3
	9/99	68	28	1	3
	7/99	60	37	*	3
	4/99	65	29	2	4
	1998	66	31	1	2
	1997	58	38	1	3
	1996	64	33	1	2
	1994	56	42	-	2
	1993	55	41	2	2
	1992	56	39	2	3
	1991	55	37	2	6
	1990	63	31	2	4
	1985	63	32	1	4
	1973	65	28	1	6
	1969	69	25	-	6
	1967	58	38	1	3
	1966	52	39	0	8
	1964	56	35	1	9
	1963	52	38	1	8
	1962	48	45	0	7
	1961	46	45	1	8
	1959	51	40	2	7
	1957	61	31	-	8
	1956	55	35	1	9

"Do you regard the income tax which you will have to pay this year as fair?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/4-7/13	55	42	3
	4/9-12/12	59	37	5
	4/7-11/11	57	40	3
	4/8-11/10	59	36	5
	4/6-9/09	61	35	4
	4/6-9/08	60	35	5
	4/2-5/07	60	37	3
	4/10-13/06	60	34	5
	4/4-7/05	61	34	5
	4/5-8/04	62	33	5
	4/7-9/03	64	33	3
	4/5-7/02	58	37	5
	4/6-8/01	51	46	3
	4/6-7/99	45	49	6
	3/24-26/97	51	43	6
	11/15-20/46	60	34	6

"As I read off some different groups, please tell me if you think they are paying their fair share in federal taxes, paying too much, or paying too little. How about [see below]?"

		Fair share	Too much	Too little	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"Lower-income people"
	4/4-7/13	37	40	19	4
	4/9-12/12	33	40	24	3
	4/7-11/11	37	40	21	2
	4/8-11/10	35	39	22	4
	4/6-9/09	41	39	16	4
	4/6-9/08	32	51	13	4
	4/2-5/07	34	45	17	4
	4/10-13/06	36	46	12	6
	4/4-7/05	36	51	10	3
	4/5-8/04	35	49	12	4
	4/03	36	49	12	3
	4/99	34	51	11	4
	4/96	40	48	9	3
	4/94	43	42	12	3
	3/93	37	51	9	3
	3/92	32	57	8	3

	"Middle-income people"
	4/4-7/13	53	42	3	2
	4/9-12/12	56	36	6	2
	4/7-11/11	50	44	5	1
	4/8-11/10	49	43	6	2
	4/6-9/09	50	43	5	2
	4/6-9/08	50	43	4	3
	4/2-5/07	44	47	7	2
	4/10-13/06	50	43	5	3
	4/4-7/05	52	41	4	3
	4/5-8/04	47	46	4	3
	4/03	51	40	7	2
	4/99	35	59	4	2
	4/96	34	58	5	3
	4/94	39	57	3	1
	3/93	39	54	5	2
	3/92	36	57	5	2

	"Upper-income people"
	4/4-7/13	26	11	61	2
	4/9-12/12	25	10	62	3
	4/7-11/11	25	13	59	2
	4/8-11/10	26	15	55	4
	4/6-9/09	23	13	60	3
	4/6-9/08	24	9	63	4
	4/2-5/07	21	9	66	4
	4/10-13/06	21	8	67	4
	4/4-7/05	22	7	68	3
	4/5-8/04	24	9	63	4
	4/03	24	10	63	3
	4/99	19	10	66	5
	4/96	19	9	68	4
	4/94	20	10	68	2
	3/93	16	5	77	2
	3/92	16	4	77	3

	"Corporations"
	4/4-7/13	21	8	66	5
	4/9-12/12	21	11	64	4
	4/7-11/11	20	9	67	4
	4/8-11/10	22	9	62	7
	4/6-9/09	18	8	67	6
	4/6-9/08	15	6	73	6
	4/2-5/07	19	5	71	5
	4/10-13/06	18	5	70	7
	4/4-7/05	21	4	69	6
	4/5-8/04	19	5	69	7

"During the next twelve months, do you think the taxes you pay will be changed so that they are higher, or lower, or won't there be any change?"

		Higher	Lower	No change	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/4-7/13	64	3	31	2
	4/9-12/12	53	3	41	3
	4/8-11/10	63	4	30	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). April 5-8, 2013. N=1,000 adults nationwide.

"As you may know, across the board automatic federal spending cuts to military and non-military programs were put in place on March first in order to reduce the federal deficit. How much of an impact have these automatic spending cuts had on you and your family: a great deal, quite a bit, just some, or not much at all?" Half sample (Form A)

		A great deal	Quite a bit	Just some	Not much at all	None (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/5-8/13	9	7	17	58	9

"As you may know, across the board automatic federal spending cuts to military and non-military programs were put in place on March first in order to reduce the federal deficit. Do you believe these automatic spending cuts will mostly help, mostly harm, or have no impact on the economy?" Half sample (Form B)

		Mostly help	Mostly harm	Have no impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/5-8/13	16	47	30	7

Gallup Poll. April 6-7, 2013. N=1,025 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As you may know, automatic cuts in the federal budget -- known as sequestration -- went into effect on March 1. All in all, do you think the sequestration is a good thing or a bad thing for the country, or don't you know enough to say?"

		Good thing	Bad thing	Don't know enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/6-7/13	18	31	49	2
	3/11-12/13	17	27	55	1
	3/2-3/13	18	30	51	1

"All in all, do you think the sequestration is a good thing or a bad thing for you personally, or don't you know enough to say?"

		Good thing	Bad thing	Don't know enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/6-7/13	14	25	57	4
	3/11-12/13	14	24	60	2
	3/2-3/13	17	26	55	2

CNN/ORC Poll. April 5-7, 2013. N=1,012 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, Congress and the President agreed to a set of automatic forced spending cuts -- sometimes known as 'the sequester' -- that took effect on March 1. Have those forced spending cuts affected the nation's economy a great deal, some, not much, or not at all?"

		A great deal	Some	Not much	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/5-7/13	29	39	20	8	3
	3/15-17/13	21	39	21	15	4

"Have those forced spending cuts affected your personal financial situation a great deal, some, not much, or not at all?"

		A great deal	Some	Not much	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/5-7/13	16	26	22	35	-
	3/15-17/13	11	24	21	43	1

Morning Joe/Marist Poll. March 25-27, 2013. N=1,061 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"What would you like to see Congress and President Obama agree is the top priority for the country: creating jobs or reducing the deficit?"

		Creating jobs	Reducing the deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	62	35	3
	Democrats	76	21	2
	Republicans	46	51	3
	Independents	60	36	4

"Who do you think has a better approach to deal with the federal budget deficit: [see below]?"

		Congressional Republicans	President Obama	Both	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	42	43	1	9	5

"Which of the following comes closest to your view about how to reduce the federal budget deficit? Mostly cut government spending including entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Mostly increase revenues such as limiting tax deductions on higher income. Do both, cut spending including entitlement programs and increase revenues by limiting tax deductions on higher income."

		Mostly cut spending	Mostly increase revenues	Do both	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	18	34	42	6

"In January, the top federal tax rate on all family income above $450,000 was increased from 35% to nearly 40%. Given this tax increase, are you more likely to want to reduce the deficit by limiting tax deductions on higher income, less likely, or does it not make any difference to your opinion?"

		More likely	Less likely	No difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	22	19	54	4

McClatchy-Marist Poll. March 25-27, 2013. N=1,061 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about the federal budget: [see below]?"

		Congressional Republicans	President Obama	Both	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	41	50	1	8	2

"Who do you think is more to blame for the gridlock on the federal budget: [see below]?"

		Congressional Republicans	President Obama	Both	Neither/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	48	34	11	7

"Eighty-five billion dollars in automatic across-the-board spending cuts to the federal budget took effect on March 1st. Do you think these spending cuts have had a positive effect on the economy, a negative effect, or no effect at all on the economy?"

		Positive effect	Negative effect	No effect at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	13	36	42	9

"What about for you and your family? Since these automatic across-the-board spending cuts took effect, do you think they have had a positive effect on you and your family, a negative effect, or no effect at all on you and your family?"

		Positive effect	Negative effect	No effect at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/25-27/13	5	26	66	3

CBS News Poll. March 20-24, 2013. N=1,181 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"What effect do you think reducing the federal budget deficit would have on the nation's economy? Would it make it better, worse, have no effect, or don't you know enough to say?"

		Better	Worse	No effect	Don't know enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	42	6	9	39	4

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

		It does	It does not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	61	36	2

"I'm going to read you some suggestions that have been made to reduce the size of the federal budget deficit. Please tell me whether you would favor or oppose each of the following. "In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose reducing defense spending?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	38	58	3
	12/12-16/12	42	54	4

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose reducing spending on Social Security?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	18	79	2

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose reducing spending on Medicare, the government health insurance program for seniors?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	18	80	2

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose reducing some government programs and services that benefit people like you?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	47	45	8
	1/11-15/13	56	37	8
	12/12-16/12	45	48	7

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose increasing the capital gains tax rate on income from investments?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	52	36	11

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose personally paying more in taxes?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	31	66	3
	12/12-16/12	29	68	3

"As you may know, automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs are in effect because President Obama and Republicans in Congress could not agree on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit. These automatic spending cuts are commonly referred to as the Sequester. Who do you blame more for the failure to reach an agreement and avoid the automatic spending cuts known as the Sequester: the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress?"

		Republicans in Congress	Obama and Democrats	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	39	35	19	1	6

"Over the long run, do you think the spending cuts in the Sequester will be good for the country, because it forces the government to cut spending; bad for the country, because it forces cuts to important programs and services, or it will have no real impact on the country?"

		Good for the country	Bad for the country	No real impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/20-24/13	28	41	23	9
	3/1-3/13	34	46	12	8

Fox News Poll conducted by Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). March 17-19, 2013. N=1,002 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Which one of the following should be the higher priority for the President and Congress right now: increasing government spending to create jobs, or cutting government spending to reduce the budget deficit." If both: "Well, if you had to pick . . . ."

		Increasing government spending	Cutting government spending	Both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/17-19/13	38	54	5	3

"Which one of the following best describes the national debt? An immediate problem. A problem that can be handled several years down the road. Not a problem at all."

		Immediate problem	A problem handled down the road	Not a problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/17-19/13	68	27	4	1

"Do you think reducing the federal budget deficit is a worthy goal in and of itself, or not?"

		A worthy goal	Not a worthy goal	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/17-19/13	85	11	4

"Automatic across-the-board budget cuts took effect on March 1, after the President and Congress failed to reach an agreement on the budget. In general, do you think these cuts in government spending are a good thing or a bad thing?"

		A good thing	A bad thing	Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/17-19/13	49	37	8	6

"In the current budget debate, who do you agree with most when it comes to handling the budget deficit: Republicans in Congress or President Obama?"

		Republicans in Congress	President Obama	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/17-19/13	41	44	1	9	5

CNN/ORC Poll. March 15-17, 2013. N=1,021 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Now here are some questions about the current debate concerning the federal government's budget and fiscal policies, including spending, taxes, the federal deficit, and the amount of money the government borrows. "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that Barack Obama is currently handling the federal budget and the way the government raises and spends money?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	31	67	2

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the Republicans in Congress are currently handling the federal budget and the way the government raises and spends money?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	19	79	2

"And if you had to choose, whose approach toward those issues do you prefer: the Republicans in Congress, or Barack Obama?"

		Republicans in Congress	Obama	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	46	47	6	1

"As you may know, on a regular basis, Congress must pass bills that authorize the federal government to spend money for a certain amount of time. When that time expires, the government must shut down until Congress passes a new spending bill. "Suppose the federal government had to shut down for a few days because Congress did not pass a new spending bill. Would you consider that a good thing for the country or a bad thing for the country?"

		Good thing	Bad thing	Neutral/ Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	34	64	2	1
	9/23-25/11	25	72	2	1
	3/11-13/11	36	59	4	2

"Now suppose the federal government had to shut down for a few weeks because Congress did not pass a new spending bill. Would you consider that a good thing for the country or a bad thing for the country?"

		Good thing	Bad thing	Neutral/ Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	21	78	1	-
	3/11-13/11	24	73	1	2

"If the federal government shuts down, do you think that Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress would be more responsible for that?"

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	38	40	19	2	1
	9/23-25/11	33	47	17	1	2
	3/11-13/11	37	46	14	1	2

Pew Research Center. March 13-17, 2013. Adults nationwide.

"What is more important: taking steps to reduce the national debt or keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are?" N=749 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.2

		Reducing the national debt	Keeping benefits as they are	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	3/13-17/13	36	53	8	3

"What is more important: taking steps to reduce the budget deficit or keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are?" N=752 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2

		Reducing the budget deficit	Keeping benefits as they are	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	3/13-17/13	32	57	8	3
	8/16-19/12	33	51	11	5
	9/22 - 10/4/11	35	58	2	4
	6/15-19/11	32	60	4	5
	2/95	24	70	2	4

Gallup Poll. March 4-5, 2013. N=1,023 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, suppose that on Election Day you could vote on key issues as well as candidates. Would you vote for or against a federal government program that would spend government money to put people to work on urgent infrastructure repairs?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/4-5/13	72	23	5

"Would you vote for or against a federal law that would spend government money for a program designed to help create more than 1 million jobs?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/4-5/13	72	24	3

"Would you vote for or against a law that would spend government money to establish federal and state programs making high-quality preschools available to every child in America?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/4-5/13	69	28	3

Gallup Poll. March 2-3, 2013. N=1,028 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, suppose that on Election Day you could vote on key issues as well as candidates. Would you vote for or against a law that would lower tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that create jobs in the United States?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/2-3/13	79	16	5

"Would you vote for or against a federal government program that would put people to work on urgent infrastructure repairs?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/2-3/13	77	19	4

"Would you vote for or against a federal jobs creation law designed to create more than 1 million new jobs?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/2-3/13	75	21	4

"Would you vote for or against a law establishing federal and state programs that would make high-quality preschools available to every child in America?"

		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/2-3/13	73	24	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Feb. 27-March 3, 2013. N=1,017 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Overall, do you support or oppose a five percent across-the-board cut in overall federal spending this year?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/27 - 3/3/13	61	33	6

"Overall, do you support or oppose an eight percent across-the-board cut in U.S. military spending this year?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/27 - 3/3/13	34	60	6

CBS News Poll. March 1-3, 2013. N=861 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"In the current discussions over tax increases and spending cuts, which do you think Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress should do: compromise some of their positions in order to come to an agreement, or stick to their positions even if it means not coming to an agreement?" 12/12: "In the current negotiations...."

		Compromise	Stick to their positions	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/1-3/13	78	15	1	6
	12/12-16/12	78	16	1	4

"In the current discussions over tax increases and spending cuts, which do you think the Republicans in Congress should do: compromise some of their positions in order to come to an agreement, or stick to their positions even if it means not coming to an agreement?" 12/12: "In the current negotiations...."

		Compromise	Stick to their positions	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/1-3/13	73	21	0	6
	12/12-16/12	81	13	1	5

"As you may know, automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs were scheduled to go into effect on March 1st because President Obama and Republicans in Congress could not agree on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit. These automatic spending cuts are commonly referred to as the Sequester. How closely have you been following news about these automatic spending cuts? Would you say you have followed this very closely, somewhat closely, or not too closely?"

		Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not too closely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/1-3/13	28	43	28	1

"Who do you blame more for the failure to reach an agreement by March 1st and avoid the automatic spending cuts known as the Sequester: the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress?"

		Republicans in Congress	Obama and Democrats	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/1-3/13	38	33	19	2	8

"Which comes closest to your view about the Sequester? (1) We should cut spending with the Sequester, even if that means cuts to important programs. (2) We should cut spending, but should find a different way to do it without the Sequester. OR, (3) We shouldn't cut spending right now."

		Cut with Sequester	Cut without Sequester	Shouldn't cut spending	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/1-3/13	18	63	13	6

"Do you think you will be personally affected by the spending cuts in the Sequester, or not?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/1-3/13	53	39	7

Fox News Poll conducted by Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). Feb. 25-27, 2013. N=1,010 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, unless the president and Congress reach an agreement on the budget by March 1, some 85 billion dollars in automatic across-the-board budget cuts will start taking effect on government programs this year, including military programs. How much have you heard about these automatic spending cuts, known in Washington as 'the sequester': [see below]?"

		A lot	Some, but not a lot	Not much	Nothing at all
		%	%	%	%
	2/25-27/13	46	31	15	7

"Which of the following comes closer to your view? Lawmakers know how to get the deficit under control and will be able to reach an agreement to make that happen. The only way to get the deficit under control is through actions like the automatic spending cuts because Congress can't do it otherwise."

		Lawmakers will make it happen	Actions like automatic spending cuts are necessary	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/25-27/13	29	57	14

"In January, the president and Congress reached a budget agreement that raised tax rates on wealthy Americans and postponed making cuts to government spending. This time, would you prefer the budget deal reduces the deficit by focusing only on cutting government spending; mostly on cutting spending, and a small number of tax increases; on an equal mix of spending cuts and tax increases; only on adding further tax increases?"

				%
	Only spending cuts			33
	Mostly spending cuts, small number of tax increases			19
	Equal mix of spending cuts and tax increases			36
	Only on adding further tax increases			7
	Unsure			5

"Some people say if the automatic spending cuts happen that the consequences would be devastating, including cutbacks in funding for emergency responders and the downgrading of the country's military. Others point out that the 85 billion dollars in cuts would be a small reduction -- only about two and a half percent of the government's projected spending this year -- and could be good for the economy in the long-term. What about you? What do you think the effect of automatic spending cuts would be: [see below]?"

			%
	Extremely negative		15
	Somewhat negative		30
	No real difference either way		22
	Somewhat positive		21
	Extremely positive		6
	Unsure		7

Pew Research Center/Washington Post. Feb. 21-24, 2013. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"How well do you feel you understand what would happen if automatic federal spending cuts take place next week: very well, fairly well, not too well, or not at all well?"

		Very well	Fairly well	Not too well	Not at all well	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/21-24/13	18	35	25	21	1

"If automatic federal spending cuts take place, do you think they would have a major effect, a minor effect, or no effect on [see below]? How about on [see below]?"

		Major effect	Minor effect	No effect	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	"The U.S. economy"
	2/21-24/13	60	25	5	11

	"Your own personal financial situation"
	2/21-24/13	30	40	19	11

	"The federal budget deficit"
	2/21-24/13	45	31	12	12

	"The U.S. military"
	2/21-24/13	55	25	10	11

"If an agreement to prevent automatic federal spending cuts is not reached before next week's deadline, who do you think would be more to blame: Republicans in Congress or President Obama?" Options rotated 2/13-18/13: "If a deficit reduction agreement is not reached before the deadline, who do you think would be more to blame: Republicans in Congress or President Obama?"

		Republicans in Congress	President Obama	Both equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/21-24/13	45	32	13	1	10
	2/13-18/13	49	31	11	1	7

Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. Feb. 15-18, 2013. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"I'm going to mention some aspects of the national economic situation. For each, please tell me if you expect things to be better in the next 12 months, worse, or about the same as the last 12 months. The size of the national debt."

		Better	Worse	About the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	16	56	25	3

"Let's turn to the federal budget deficit. This is the amount the government spends that is more than the amount it takes in from taxes and other revenue. Is it your sense that this year the deficit is getting bigger or getting smaller, or is it staying about the same as last year?"

		Getting bigger	Getting smaller	Staying about the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	62	6	28	4

"Which of the following approaches is more likely to be successful in growing the U.S. economy and creating jobs? Spending cuts and tax cuts will give businesses more confidence to hire. Government spending in infrastructure, education, and alternative energy will create jobs." Options rotated

		Spending cuts, tax cuts	Government spending	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	44	49	7

"I'm going to mention some areas of government spending. For each, please tell me your sense of how big a part of the federal budget it is -- at least 20% of the budget, less than 20% but more than 2%, or 2% or less. . . ."

		At least 20%	Less than 20%, more than 2%	2% or less	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"Education"
	2/15-18/13	28	48	17	7

	"Defense"
	2/15-18/13	60	23	7	10

	"Medicare and Medicaid"
	2/15-18/13	50	31	10	9

	"Social Security"
	2/15-18/13	43	36	11	10

	"Foreign aid"
	2/15-18/13	31	34	22	13

	"The social safety net, including food stamps and unemployment payments to those who lost their jobs"
	2/15-18/13	39	40	12	9

"There has been ongoing debate on raising the debt ceiling, which allows the U.S. government to borrow money to pay for spending already approved by Congress. Which better reflects your view of how the U.S. debt ceiling should be viewed by Congress? The full faith and credit of the U.S. should be protected at any cost; the debt ceiling should be raised when necessary, with no conditions. It is necessary to limit the amount the U.S. can borrow because Congress lacks discipline on spending, so it is right to require spending cuts when the debt ceiling is raised." Options rotated

		Raise with no conditions	Require spending cuts	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	21	71	8

"Thinking about the budget deficit overall, do you think the better way to reduce it is to focus exclusively on cutting spending, or do you think the better way is to cut spending combined with increasing revenue by raising taxes on companies and high-income earners?"

		Just cut spending	Cut spending & raise taxes	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	35	59	6

"Which do you think is the better course for Congress to take: act now to make steep cuts to reduce the deficit before it gets out of control, or delay steep cuts to give the economy a chance to continue recovering which would help reduce the deficit?"

		Steep cuts now	Delay steep cuts	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	40	54	6

"If Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget, one possibility is that the federal government would shut down all non-critical services. Do you think a shutdown should be avoided or would it not be all that harmful?"

		Should be avoided	Would not be all that harmful	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/15-18/13	64	28	8

Pew Research Center. Feb. 13-18, 2013. N=1,504 adults nationwide.

"If you were making up the budget for the federal government this year, would you increase spending, decrease spending or keep spending the same for [see below]? What about for [see below]?" Each item asked of half the sample.

		Increase	Decrease	Keep the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Health care"
	2/13-18/13	38	22	34	6
	2/2-7/11	41	24	30	5
	6/18-21/09	61	10	24	6

	"Energy"
	2/13-18/13	36	21	38	5
	2/2-7/11	36	23	37	4
	6/18-21/09	41	15	35	9

	"Anti-terrorism defenses in the U.S."
	2/13-18/13	32	19	45	3
	2/2-7/11	33	21	43	4
	6/18-21/09	35	17	41	7

	"Veterans benefits and services"
	2/13-18/13	53	6	38	3
	2/2-7/11	51	6	40	3
	6/18-21/09	63	2	29	6

	"Natural disaster relief programs"
	2/13-18/13	34	12	50	5

	"The State Department and American embassies"
	2/13-18/13	14	34	46	6
	6/18-21/09	9	28	50	12

	"Social Security"
	2/13-18/13	41	10	46	3
	2/2-7/11	41	12	43	3

	"Rebuilding highways, bridges and roads"
	2/13-18/13	38	17	43	2
	2/2-7/11	38	21	37	3

	"Economic assistance to needy people in the U.S."
	2/13-18/13	27	24	44	4
	2/2-7/11	42	20	34	3

	"Scientific research"
	2/13-18/13	37	20	40	3
	2/2-7/11	36	23	37	4
	6/18-21/09	39	14	40	7

	"Military defense"
	2/13-18/13	32	24	41	3
	2/2-7/11	31	30	36	3
	6/18-21/09	40	18	37	5

	"Government assistance for the unemployed"
	2/13-18/13	24	32	41	3
	2/2-7/11	27	28	41	4
	6/18-21/09	44	15	36	6

	"Agriculture"
	2/13-18/13	34	20	42	4
	2/2-7/11	32	23	39	5
	6/18-21/09	35	12	41	13

	"Medicare"
	2/13-18/13	36	15	46	3
	2/2-7/11	40	12	43	5
	6/18-21/09	53	6	37	4

	"Combating crime"
	2/13-18/13	41	14	41	4
	2/2-7/11	39	18	40	3
	6/18-21/09	45	10	39	6

	"Environmental protection"
	2/13-18/13	33	22	43	3
	2/2-7/11	36	26	36	3
	6/18-21/09	43	16	34	6

	"Economic assistance to needy people around the world"
	2/13-18/13	21	48	28	3
	2/2-7/11	21	45	29	4
	6/18-21/09	26	34	33	7

	"Education"
	2/13-18/13	60	10	29	2
	2/2-7/11	62	11	25	2
	6/18-21/09	67	6	23	4

	"Food and drug inspection"
	2/13-18/13	33	14	50	2

Pew Research Center/USA Today. Feb. 13-18, 2013. N=1,504 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.9.

"In your view, as Congress and the president discuss steps to reduce the budget deficit over the coming months, should they focus ONLY on spending cuts, ONLY on tax increases, or should they do a combination of both?"

		Only on spending cuts	Only on tax increases	Combination of both	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	2/13-18/13	19	3	76	2

"How much, if anything, have you heard about major cuts in defense and domestic government spending that will automatically happen on March 1st unless the president and Congress reach an agreement on deficit reduction? Have you heard a lot, a little, or nothing at all?"

		A lot	A little	Nothing at all	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	2/13-18/13	27	43	29	1

"If the president and Congress can't reach a deficit reduction agreement before the March 1st deadline, would it be better to delay the automatic spending cuts or would it be better to let the automatic spending cuts go into effect?" Options rotated

		Delay the cuts	Let cuts go into effect	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	2/13-18/13	49	40	11

Fox News Poll conducted by Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). Feb. 4-6, 2013. N=1,010 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Which of the following do you think would be more likely to help strengthen the nation's economy right now: increasing government spending, or cutting government spending?"

		Increasing spending	Cutting spending	Leave as is/ Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	2/4-6/13	15	73	7	5

Quinnipiac University Poll. Jan. 30-Feb. 4, 2013. N=1,772 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.3.

"As you may know, unless Congress acts, about $1.2 trillion in defense and domestic spending would be cut from the federal budget on March 1st. Do you want these cuts to take effect or not, or don't you have an opinion on that?"

		Yes, take effect	No, not take effect	No opinion	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	1/30 - 2/4/13	22	43	32	3

University of Connecticut/Hartford Courant Poll. Jan. 22-28, 2013. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, Congress is considering ways to reduce the federal deficit over the next decade. How do you think the federal government should reduce the deficit: with tax increases paid by every household in the U.S., with spending cuts, or with a combination of tax increases and spending cuts?"

		Tax increases	Spending cuts	Combination	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/22-28/13	3	40	49	7

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. Jan. 10-14, 2013. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As you may know, in the next few months the U.S. government must raise the federal debt limit in order to avoid defaulting on its debt. If the federal debt limit is NOT raised and the U.S. defaults on its debt, how likely is it that the U.S. would face a major economic crisis? Is that . . . ?" 6/11: "As you may know, by August the U.S. government must raise the federal debt limit in order to avoid defaulting on its debt. If the federal debt limit is NOT raised and the U.S. defaults on its debt, how likely is it that the U.S. would face a major economic crisis? Is that . . . ?"

		Extremely likely	Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not too likely	Not likely at all
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/10-14/13	26	27	27	9	8
	6/16-20/11	30	23	29	10	6

"In general, do you support, oppose or neither support nor oppose raising the federal debt limit in order to avoid defaulting on U.S. government debts?"

		Support	Oppose	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/10-14/13	31	40	19	10
	6/16-20/11	38	41	18	3

"Which comes closest to your view? Congress should increase the debt ceiling first to avoid a default on federal debt, and discuss spending cuts and deficit reduction separately. Congress should ONLY increase the debt ceiling if it makes significant spending cuts at the same time, even if that means there will be considerable reductions in government services and programs. OR, Congress should NOT increase the debt ceiling under any circumstances, even if that means the U.S. defaults on its debt." Options rotated

		Increase debt ceiling, then discuss cuts	Increase only if makes cuts at same time	Should not increase, even if U.S. defaults	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/10-14/13	30	39	21	9	2
	6/16-20/11	34	43	18	4	1

"In order to balance the federal budget, which should be the main focus of lawmakers: increasing taxes or cutting government services?" Options rotated. 11/10: Co-sponsored by CNBC.

		Increasing taxes	Cutting services	Both equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/10-14/13	30	49	11	6	4
	11/29 - 12/3/12	30	46	13	8	5
	2/16-20/12	31	56	5	5	3
	12/8-12/11	31	60	4	3	2
	10/13-17/11	34	55	4	4	4
	8/18-22/11	34	53	6	6	2
	3/24-28/11	29	62	4	3	1
	11/18-22/10	30	59	4	5	3

"The following are ways that some people have proposed making cuts in government spending to reduce the federal budget deficit. For each one, please tell me if you favor, oppose or neither favor nor oppose it as a way of reducing the federal budget deficit. . . ."

		Favor	Oppose	Neither	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Reducing federal government spending on defense"
	1/10-14/13	41	40	16	3	-
	11/29 - 12/3/12	40	44	12	4	-

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 10-13, 2013. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"If Congress does not raise its borrowing limit in February, the federal government will have to default on its loans and/or shut down some of its operations. Some people say the borrowing limit should be raised only if spending cuts also are put in place. Others say the two issues should be kept separate. Do you think raising the borrowing limit should be tied to spending cuts, or should these be kept as separate issues?"

		Tie borrowing limit to spending cuts	Keep as separate issues	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/10-13/13	36	58	6

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Jan. 10-13, 2013. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"As you may know, Congress recently voted to raise tax rates from 35 to 39.5 percent on income over $450,000 for families. Which of the following statements comes closest to your views? Congress should have raised taxes starting at families making over $250,000. OR, Congress was correct in raising taxes starting at families making over $450,000. OR, Congress should have raised taxes starting at families making over $1 million. OR, Congress should not have raised taxes at all."

		Should have started at $250K +	Correct in starting at $450 +	Should have started at $1 million +	Should not have raised taxes at all	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/10-13/13	29	30	12	23	5

"As you may know, when taxes were raised it only covered a small portion of the projected deficit over the next 10 years. Some people say that any additional efforts to reduce the deficit should include a mixture of tax increases and spending cuts. Others say that there should only be spending cuts. Which comes closer to your views on deficit reduction?"

		Tax increases, spending cuts	Spending cuts only	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	1/10-13/13	48	49	4

Pew Research Center. Jan. 3-6, 2013. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"As you may know, Congress and the president have passed new legislation on taxes. From what you've read and heard, do you strongly approve, approve, disapprove or strongly disapprove of this tax legislation?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	38	41	21

"Thinking ahead, do you think this tax legislation will mostly help or hurt the condition of the U.S. economy?"

		Help	Hurt	Make no difference (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	36	46	3	15

"Thinking ahead, do you think this tax legislation will mostly help or hurt people like yourself?"

		Help	Hurt	Make no difference (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	30	52	6	13

"Thinking ahead, do you think this tax legislation will mostly help or hurt the federal budget deficit?"

		Help	Hurt	Make no difference (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	33	44	4	18

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama handled negotiations over the tax legislation?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	48	40	12

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Republican leaders in Congress handled negotiations over the tax legislation?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	19	66	15

"And just your impression, who do you think got more of what they wanted from the tax legislation: Barack Obama or Republican leaders in Congress?" Options rotated

		Obama	Republican leaders	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/3-6/13	57	20	4	4	16

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 2-6, 2013. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the agreement reached by Congress and the Obama administration to avoid the 'fiscal cliff?'"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/2-6/13	45	38	17

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama handled budget negotiations to avoid the 'fiscal cliff?'" 12/13-16/12: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling budget negotiations to avoid the so-called 'fiscal cliff?'" 12/5-9/12: "Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling budget negotiations to avoid the so-called 'fiscal cliff?'"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/2-6/13	52	37	11
	12/13-16/12	45	43	11
	12/5-9/12	49	42	10

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way House Speaker John Boehner handled budget negotiations to avoid the 'fiscal cliff?'" 12/12: "Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way House Speaker John Boehner is handling budget negotiations to avoid the so-called 'fiscal cliff?'"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/2-6/13	31	51	18
	12/5-9/12	25	49	26

Gallup Poll. Jan. 3, 2013. N=1,026 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"From what you know or have read, do you approve or disapprove of the agreement to avoid the 'fiscal cliff' tax increases and spending cuts in the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/3/13	43	45	12

"Based on what you have heard or read, do you approve or disapprove of the way each of the following handled the fiscal cliff budget negotiations? How about [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"President Barack Obama"
	1/3/13	46	48	6

	"Vice President Joe Biden" N=494, margin of error ą 6
	1/3/13	40	42	17

	"Democratic leaders in Congress" N=532, margin of error ą 6
	1/3/13	34	55	11

	"Speaker of the House John Boehner" N=494, margin of error ą 6
	1/3/13	31	50	18

	"Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell" N=494, margin of error ą 6
	1/3/13	28	46	26

	"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid" N=494, margin of error ą 6
	1/3/13	27	48	25

	"Republican leaders in Congress" N=532, margin of error ą 6
	1/3/13	25	67	8

Budget, taxes, economic policy continued

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