Budget/Taxes

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Budget, Taxes, Economic Policy

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

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	-

	"Gradually raising the age at which people become eligible for Medicare benefits"
	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"
	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"
	1/10-14/13	60	25	12	3	-

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

Gallup Poll. Dec. 21-22, 2012. N=1,076 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4. Interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking.

"How closely are you following the news about the ongoing 'fiscal cliff' federal budget negotiations in Washington: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"

		Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not too closely	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/21-22/12	34	30	20	16	1
	12/15-16/12	28	34	21	16	1
	12/8-9/12	28	36	19	16	1
	12/1-2/12	30	30	21	19	1

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

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"President Barack Obama"
	12/21-22/12	54	38	9
	12/15-16/12	48	43	9
	12/8-9/12	48	44	8
	12/1-2/12	52	43	6

	"Democratic leaders in Congress" N=526, margin of error ą 5
	12/21-22/12	45	43	12
	12/15-16/12	34	56	10
	12/8-9/12	38	50	12
	12/1-2/12	39	49	11

	"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid" N=550, margin of error ą 5
	12/21-22/12	34	43	23
	12/15-16/12	24	48	29

	"Speaker of the House John Boehner" N=550, margin of error ą 5
	12/21-22/12	26	54	19
	12/15-16/12	25	49	26

	"Republican leaders in Congress" N=526, margin of error ą 5
	12/21-22/12	26	61	13
	12/15-16/12	29	61	10
	12/8-9/12	26	64	11
	12/1-2/12	27	63	10

"What would you like to see government leaders in Washington do in the fiscal cliff negotiations: stick to their principles and beliefs on tax increases and spending cuts, even if no agreement is reached by the Jan. 1 deadline, OR, compromise on their principles and beliefs on tax increases and spending cuts in order to reach an agreement by the Jan. 1 deadline?" Options rotated

		Stick to principles	Compromise	Neither/ Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/21-22/12	22	68	3	8
	12/15-16/12	24	66	3	7
	12/8-9/12	18	70	5	8
	12/1-2/12	25	62	4	8

"Just your best guess, how likely is it that President Obama and the leaders in Congress will reach a solution that avoids the fiscal cliff measures before Jan. 1: very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all?"

		Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not too likely	Not at all likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/21-22/12	14	36	30	18	2
	12/15-16/12	18	39	22	18	3
	12/8-9/12	18	41	21	17	3
	12/1-2/12	14	44	25	14	3

CNN/ORC Poll. Dec. 17-18, 2012. N=620 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As you may know, last year Congress and the President agreed to a program to reduce the federal deficit that some people call the 'fiscal cliff.' Unless Congress and the President reach an agreement within the next few weeks, tax rates will automatically rise in January for almost all Americans and major spending cuts will automatically occur next year in most government spending programs, including military programs. "If those automatic tax increases and spending cuts occur next year, do you think that would cause a crisis, major problems, minor problems, or no problems at all for the United States?"

		A crisis	Major problems	Minor problems	No problems	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/17-18/12	20	50	24	4	2
	11/16-18/12	24	44	24	7	1

"If Congress and the President do not reach an agreement by the end of the year and those automatic tax increases and spending cuts occur, 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
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/17-18/12	37	48	11	2	1
	11/16-18/12	34	45	15	1	4

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 13-16, 2012. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"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
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	45	43	11
	12/5-9/12	49	42	10

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republican leaders of Congress are handling budget negotiations to avoid the so-called 'fiscal cliff'?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	26	65	9

"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	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	29	4	65	2
	7/14-17/11	32	4	62	3
	6/2-5/11	37	4	57	2
	4/14-17/11	36	3	59	2
	3/10-13/11	31	3	64	3
	12/9-12/10	36	2	60	1

"If deficit reduction comes both from cutting spending and from increasing taxes, should it be more from cutting spending, or more from increasing taxes, or should it be half from each?"

		Cutting spending	Increasing taxes	Half from each	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	47	10	41	2
	6/2-5/11	52	8	39	2

"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept cutting spending on Medicaid, which is the government health insurance program for the poor, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"

		Accept	Unacceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	28	68	3

"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept cutting military spending, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"

		Accept	Unacceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	42	55	3

"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept raising taxes on Americans with incomes over 250-thousand dollars a year, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"

		Accept	Unacceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	74	24	2

"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept raising the age for Medicare coverage from 65 to 67, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"

		Accept	Unacceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	36	60	3

"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept changing the way Social Security benefits are calculated so that benefits increase at a slower rate than they do now, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"

		Accept	Unacceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	34	60	7

"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept capping the amount of money people can claim in tax deductions at no more than 50-thousand dollars a year, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"

		Accept	Unacceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	54	36	10

"If a budget agreement is not reached, who do you think will be mainly to blame: the Republicans in Congress or Obama?" Options rotated

		Republicans in Congress	Obama	Both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	47	31	18	3

"How concerned are you, if at all, about what may happen to the national economy if Obama and Congress cannot reach a budget agreement: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not concerned at all?"

		Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not concerned at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	58	30	7	3	1

"How concerned are you, if at all, about what may happen to your personal finances if Obama and Congress cannot reach a budget agreement: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not concerned at all?"

		Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not concerned at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	46	32	11	10	1

"How concerned are you, if at all, about what may happen to the government's ability to operate effectively if Obama and Congress cannot reach a budget agreement: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not concerned at all?"

		Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not concerned at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	48	30	11	9	2

"How concerned are you, if at all, about what may happen to the U.S. military if Obama and Congress cannot reach a budget agreement: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not concerned at all?"

		Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not concerned at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	44	31	14	9	2

"Has the leadership of the Republican Party been too willing or not willing enough to compromise with Obama on the budget deficit?"

		Too willing	Not willing enough	About right (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	14	76	2	8
	7/14-17/11	14	77	3	6
	3/10-13/11	16	71	5	8

"Has Obama been too willing or not willing enough to compromise with the leadership of the Republican Party on the budget deficit?"

		Too willing	Not willing enough	About right (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-16/12	28	57	5	10
	7/14-17/11	29	58	8	6
	3/10-13/11	30	52	10	8

CBS News Poll. Dec. 12-16, 2012. N=1,179 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, tax increases and automatic spending cuts will take effect in January unless the President and Congress reach an agreement before January 1st. This deadline is commonly referred to as the fiscal cliff. How closely have you been following news about the fiscal cliff budget negotiations? Would you say you have followed this very closely, somewhat closely, or not too closely?"

		Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not too closely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	30	39	30	1

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress are handling the current negotiations over tax increases and spending cuts?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	38	50	12

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling the current negotiations over tax increases and spending cuts?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	17	69	14

"In the current negotiations 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?"

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

"In the current negotiations 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?"

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

"If an agreement is not reached before January 1st automatic tax increases and spending cuts will take effect. Do you think that would cause major economic problems for the country, minor economic problems, or no economic problems at all for the country?"

		Major problems	Minor problems	No problems	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	53	38	4	5

"Do you think Barack Obama and the Republicans in Congress probably will or probably will not reach an agreement on deficit reduction before the deadline at the end of the year?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	50	44	7

"Which comes closest to your view about the tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003? The tax cuts should be continued for everyone. OR, The tax cuts should only continue for household incomes under $250,000 a year. OR, The tax cuts should expire for everyone."

		Continue for everyone	Continue if under $250K	Expire for all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	28	52	13	7
	10/25-28/12	35	42	15	8
	9/8-12/12	30	47	15	8

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, which would you prefer? A plan that includes raising tax rates on household incomes over $250,000 a year, eliminating some tax deductions, and cutting some government spending. OR, A plan that does not raise tax rates on household incomes over $250,000 a year, but instead eliminates more tax deductions, and includes greater cuts to government spending."

		Raises rates if over $250K	Does not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	52	40	8

"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
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	42	54	4

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose reducing Social Security benefits for retirees with higher incomes?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	39	57	4

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose raising the retirement age at which a person can start to collect full Medicare benefits?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	32	64	4

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose eliminating the mortgage interest tax deduction for homeowners?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	30	62	8

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose eliminating the tax deduction for charitable contributions?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	33	62	5

"In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose raising the tax rate on household incomes that are over $250,000 a year?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	69	29	2
	Republicans	51	46	3
	Democrats	84	15	0
	Independents	66	30	4

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

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	29	68	3

"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
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	45	48	7

"Congress will soon decide whether or not to raise the federal debt ceiling, which is the legal limit on how much the federal government can borrow to pay for the budget deficit. Some people say the debt ceiling should be raised, because otherwise the country could default on its loans, causing severe problems for the U.S. economy. Other people say the debt ceiling should not be raised because the country owes too much money already, and raising it will cause long term economic problems. In general, do you think Congress should or should not raise the federal debt ceiling?"

		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-16/12	25	68	7

Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. Dec. 7-10, 2012. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"I am going to mention some changes that could be made to decrease the deficit. For each, please tell me if you favor or oppose the change. . . ."

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Limit the amount that can be deducted for home mortgages"
	12/7-10/12	38	49	13

	"Limit the amount that can be deducted for charitable gifts"
	12/7-10/12	41	51	8

	"Let tax cuts for all taxpayers expire as scheduled and return rates to previous levels"
	12/7-10/12	38	50	12

	"Repeal the tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 a year"
	12/7-10/12	52	42	6

	"Repeal the tax cuts for households earning more than $1 million a year"
	12/7-10/12	60	32	8

	"Reduce Social Security benefits for high-income earners"
	12/7-10/12	52	43	5

	"Gradually increase the Social Security retirement age to 69"
	12/7-10/12	36	61	3

	"Cut Medicaid, which is government help for medical care for low-income people"
	12/7-10/12	22	74	4

	"Gradually increase the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 67"
	12/7-10/12	42	55	3

	"Reduce Medicare benefits for high-income earners"
	12/7-10/12	60	35	5

"As Congress debates how to reduce the deficit, who is more on your side in representing your interests: House Speaker Boehner and the Republicans in Congress, or Obama and the Democrats in Congress?" Options rotated

		Boehner, Republicans	Obama, Democrats	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	37	51	12

"Income from investments, such as the sale of stock or from dividends, is taxed at a lower rate than income from wages. There is currently debate on whether this rate should be raised or kept at its current level. Which of the following is closer to your view? The lower rate encourages investment and so creates jobs. It is fairer for investment income to be taxed at the same rate as income from paychecks."

		Lower rate creates jobs	Fairer to tax at same rate	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	52	36	12

"Democrats and Republicans have agreed to collect more tax revenue. At issue is whether it is better to raise the top tax rate the wealthy pay, or to limit the amount people can claim in tax breaks, such as mortgage interest and charitable contributions, so they end up paying tax on a bigger share of their income. Which do you think is better: to raise the tax rate or to limit tax breaks?"

		Raise tax rate	Limit tax breaks	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	39	52	9

"President Obama has said he will not negotiate with Republicans on cuts to entitlement programs, including Medicare, until they agree to raise tax rates on the wealthy. Do you think he is right or wrong to insist on that as a precondition to broader negotiations?"

		Right	Wrong	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	58	37	5

"Congress and the President are working on a self-imposed deadline to make decisions on cutting the deficit. If they miss the deadline, there will be automatic across-the-board cuts and automatic tax increases for all. Do you think it would be okay to let the automatic cuts and tax increases take effect, or do you think this would destabilize the economy and send the country back into recession?"

		Okay to let them take effect	Would destabilize the economy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	22	65	13

"One reason Republicans are resistant to raising taxes is that many have signed a pledge never to vote to raise taxes. This is known as Grover Norquist's Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Which of the following is closest to your view? Republicans were wrong to sign the pledge in the first place. Republicans were right to sign the pledge when they did but things have changed and they should back away from it. Republicans were right to sign the pledge and should not break it."

		Wrong to sign in the first place	Right to sign, but should back away	Right to sign, should not break it	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	34	34	23	9

"Do you think Republicans have put too much emphasis on protecting the wealthy from tax increases, or do you think they are pursuing the interests of middle-class families in promoting economic growth by resisting tax increases for anyone?"

		Too much emphasis on protecting wealthy	Pursuing interests of middle-class families	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-10/12	60	34	6

"For each of the following, please tell me if you think President Obama does or does not have a mandate to get it done because he won reelection. Just answer yes or no. . . ."

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Raise income tax rates on income over $250,000"
	12/7-10/12	65	33	2

	"Protect Social Security from substantial budget cuts"
	12/7-10/12	64	33	3

	"Protect Medicare from fundamental change"
	12/7-10/12	62	34	4

	"Decrease defense spending"
	12/7-10/12	50	47	3

Gallup Poll. Dec. 8-9, 2012. N=1,069 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4. Interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking.

"Suppose no agreement is reached by the deadline and the fiscal cliff measures go into effect. Please say whether you think each of the following would or would not have a negative impact on the United States as a whole. How about [see below]?"

		Would	Would not	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Major cuts in U.S. defense spending"
	12/8-9/12	64	31	5

	"Major cuts in U.S. domestic spending"
	12/8-9/12	69	24	7

	"Increases in federal income and Social Security payroll taxes for most taxpayers"
	12/8-9/12	75	19	6

"And if the fiscal cliff tax increases and spending cuts go into effect, do you think that would or would not have a negative impact on your personal financial situation?"

		Would	Would not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/8-9/12	64	33	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Dec. 6-9, 2012. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Now, thinking about last month's election and whether voters gave President Obama a mandate -- meaning that the voters have backed his positions on the issues and want him to pursue policies that he advocated during the campaign -- for each of the following policies that I read you, please tell me whether, speaking for yourself, you think that President Obama has a mandate from the voters to pursue this policy. . . ."

		Has a mandate	Does not	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Cutting taxes for working families earning less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per year"
	12/6-9/12	68	28	1	3

	"Reducing the federal deficit by both increasing taxes on the wealthy and reducing federal spending"
	12/6-9/12	65	30	1	4

	"Eliminating the Bush tax cuts for those with higher incomes over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per year"
	12/6-9/12	59	36	1	4

"Which of the following comes closer to your point of view about reducing the federal deficit? This is something that needs to be solved now. This is something that needs to be worked on and that we need to continue to address. This is something that we can address in the future." Options rotated

		Needs to be solved now	Need to continue to address	Can address in the future	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	58	37	4	1

"Have you seen, read, or heard the news coverage about the package of tax increases and spending cuts that is currently scheduled to automatically take place on January first, sometimes called the fiscal cliff?"

		Yes	No
		%	%
	12/6-9/12	77	22

"How serious a problem do you think the so-called fiscal cliff is: a very serious problem, a fairly serious problem, just somewhat a serious problem, or not that serious a problem?" Options rotated

		Very serious	Fairly serious	Just somewhat serious	Not that serious	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	46	22	19	6	7

"Now, as you may know, if Congress does not reach consensus on federal deficit reduction by the end of the current legislative session this month, then on January first 2013 there will be automatic across the board federal spending cuts equally divided between military and domestic programs. At the same time, income, payroll, capital gains, and estate tax rates would go back up automatically for all Americans. This is sometimes referred to as the fiscal cliff. "Are you optimistic or pessimistic that Congress will reach a consensus that would avoid the fiscal cliff? ... And are you very/somewhat optimistic/pessimistic?"

		Very optimistic	Somewhat optimistic	Somewhat pessimistic	Very pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	14	34	27	21	4

"Who do you trust more on handling the fiscal cliff: Barack Obama or John Boehner and Republicans in Congress, do you trust them both equally, or do you trust neither?"

		Obama	Boehner, Republicans	Both equally	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	38	19	14	28	1

"Would you be willing to accept cuts to an important federal government program you care about or an increase in federal taxes in order to reach an agreement between Republicans and Democrats to deal with the fiscal cliff?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	67	24	9

"If the plan to avoid the fiscal cliff and reduce the deficit included an income tax rate increase for people who earn more than $250,000 per year would that be acceptable or unacceptable to you?" Half sample (Form A)

		Acceptable	Unaccept- able	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	76	22	2

"And, if there is no compromise on the fiscal cliff and the automatic spending cuts and tax increases go into effect, who do you think will be to blame for this: President Obama and the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress, or do you think they will be equally to blame?" Half sample (Form B)

		Obama, Democrats	Republicans	Equally to blame	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	19	24	56	1

"Now, if the spending cuts and tax increases set to automatically go into place January first were enacted how much of an impact do you think it would have on you and your family: a great deal, quite a bit, just some, or not much at all?" Options rotated

		A great deal	Quite a bit	Just some	Not much at all	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	26	29	30	13	1

"When it comes to dealing with the budget deficit, which of these two statements comes closer to your point of view? Would it be -- Statement A: Leaders in Congress should make compromises to gain consensus on the budget deficit, even if it means Democrats would have to accept targeted spending cuts in Social Security and Medicare and Republicans would have to accept targeted increases in tax rates. OR, Statement B: Leaders in Congress should stick to their positions on the budget deficit, even if it means there would be automatic across the board spending cuts equally divided between military and domestic programs and tax rates would go back up automatically." Options rotated. Half sample (Form B).

		Make compromises	Stick to positions	Mixed (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/6-9/12	65	28	1	3	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 5-9, 2012. N=1,018 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"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
		%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	25	49	26

Pew Research Center. Dec. 5-9, 2012. N=1,503 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.9.

"If you were setting priorities for the federal government these days, would you place a higher priority on spending to help the economy recover, or a higher priority on reducing the budget deficit?" Options rotated

		Spending on recovery	Reducing the deficit	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	45	49	7
	6/7-11/12	48	47	5
	9/22 - 10/4/11	47	48	5
	8/17-21/11	47	46	7
	6/15-19/11	42	52	6
	2/2-7/11	46	49	5

"In your view, what is the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit? Should we mostly focus on cutting major programs, mostly focus on increasing taxes, or should we do a combination of both?"

		Cutting programs	Increasing taxes	Combination	Don't focus on deficit (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	11	7	74	1	6
	9/12-16/12	16	6	69	1	8
	11/9-14/11	17	8	62	1	11
	7/20-24/11	19	8	60	1	12
	4/7-10/11	20	6	64	-	9
	12/1-5/10	16	4	65	1	13

"Looking ahead five years or so, do you think we will have made significant progress in reducing the federal budget deficit, or not?"

		Yes	No	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	44	50	6
	7/20-24/11	39	51	10
	4/21-22 & 25/11	31	55	14
	12/1-5/10	37	52	11
	2/89	40	46	14

"Thinking about ways to reduce the deficit and size of the national debt, please tell me if you would approve or disapprove of each of the following. First, [see below]. Would you approve or disapprove of this as a way to reduce the size of the national debt?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%

	"Reduce military defense spending"
	12/5-9/12	43	55	2
	10/4-7/12	40	56	4

	"Raise the income tax rate on incomes over $250,000 a year"
	12/5-9/12	69	28	3
	10/4-7/12	64	29	6

	"Limit the amount of deductions a taxpayer can claim" N=753 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1
	12/5-9/12	54	40	6

	"Gradually raising the age at which people can begin receiving Medicare benefits" N=753 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1
	12/5-9/12	41	56	2

	"Reduce Medicare benefits for seniors with higher incomes" N=753 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1
	12/5-9/12	51	46	3

	"Reduce federal funding for programs that help lower-income Americans" N=753 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1
	12/5-9/12	38	58	4

	"Reduce federal funding for roads and transportation" N=753 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1
	12/5-9/12	30	67	4

	"Gradually raise the age at which people can begin receiving Social Security benefits" N=750 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2
	12/5-9/12	42	56	2

	"Reduce Social Security benefits for seniors with higher incomes" N=750 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2
	12/5-9/12	51	46	3

	"Raise the tax rate on investment income" N=750 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2
	12/5-9/12	52	43	5

	"Reduce federal funding for education" N=750 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2
	12/5-9/12	21	77	2

	"Limit tax deductions for interest paid on home mortgages" N=750 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2
	12/5-9/12	41	52	6

"From what you've read and heard, can the nation's long-term debt problem be solved only if some taxes go up, or can it be solved without having to raise any taxes?" Options rotated

		Only if taxes go up	Without raising taxes	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	59	32	9

"Thinking about the current debate in Washington over the debt and deficit, are Republicans in Congress making a serious effort to work with Barack Obama to reach an agreement on the budget deficit, or not?"

		Making serious effort	Not making serious effort	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	32	57	11

"Is Barack Obama making a serious effort to work with Republicans in Congress to reach an agreement on the budget deficit, or not?"

		Making serious effort	Not making serious effort	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/5-9/12	55	38	7

McClatchy-Marist Poll. Dec. 4-6, 2012. N=1,091 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think President Obama and the Republicans in Congress will reach a deal or not reach a deal on the fiscal cliff before the end-of-the-month deadline?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/4-6/12	52	42	6

"If there is no agreement between Congress and President Obama by the end of the year, who do you think is more to blame . . . ?"

		Republicans in Congress	President Obama	Both	Neither/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/4-6/12	47	36	11	6

"Please tell me whether you support or oppose each of the following to reduce the federal budget deficit. . . ." N=approx. 550, margin of error ą 4.2

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Let the Bush tax cuts expire and raise taxes on individual income above $200,000 or family income above $250,000"
	12/4-6/12	57	40	3

	"Let the Obama payroll tax cut expire"
	12/4-6/12	33	50	17

	"Cut spending for Medicare"
	12/4-6/12	23	74	3

	"Cut spending for Medicaid"
	12/4-6/12	26	70	4

	"Eliminate the tax deduction for home mortgage interest"
	12/4-6/12	29	67	4

	"Eliminate the tax deduction for charitable contributions"
	12/4-6/12	28	69	3

	"Let the Bush tax cuts expire and raise taxes for everyone"
	12/4-6/12	24	74	2

	"Raise the age to receive Medicare from 65 to 67"
	12/4-6/12	40	59	1

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. Nov. 29-Dec. 3, 2012. N=1,002 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
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Eliminating the tax deduction for mortgage interest, in exchange for a lower overall income tax rate"
	11/29 - 12/3/12	42	33	19	6	1
	11/18-22/10	48	31	15	5	-

	"Limiting the dollar amount of deductions taxpayers can take"
	11/29 - 12/3/12	39	37	18	6	-

"The tax cuts that were passed in 2001 and 2003 will expire this year if they are not continued. Which of the following best describes what you think Congress should do about the tax cuts? Allow the tax cuts to expire for everyone. Allow the tax cuts on income above $250,000 to expire, but continue them for income below $250,000. Continue the tax cuts for everyone."

		Expire for everyone	Expire on income above $250,000	Continue for everyone	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/29 - 12/3/12	13	48	32	5	2

Budget, taxes, economic policy continued

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