Budget/Taxes

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Budget, Taxes, Economic Policy

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

Bloomberg Politics Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. Nov. 15-17, 2015. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Do you think the unemployment rate is higher or lower than when President Obama took office in 2009?"

		Higher	Lower	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	34	56	10
	Republicans	53	38	9
	Democrats	18	76	6

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Nov. 6-10, 2015. N=1,495 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"In general, would you favor or oppose increasing taxes on wealthy Americans and large corporations in order to help reduce income inequality in the U.S.?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	63	31	6
	Republicans	38	55	7
	Democrats	84	12	4
	Independents	63	31	7

Quinnipiac University Poll. Sept. 17-21, 2015. N=1,574 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.5.

"Do you think the U.S. economic system generally favors the wealthy or is fair to most Americans?"

		Favors the wealthy	Is fair to most	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	69	26	5
	Republicans	46	48	6
	Democrats	87	9	4
	Independents	76	19	5

CBS News Poll. July 29-Aug. 2, 2015. N=1,252 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you feel that the distribution of money and wealth in this country is fair, or do you feel that the money and wealth in this country should be more evenly distributed among more people?"

		Fair	Should be more even	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	7/29 - 8/2/15	30	63	7
	Republicans	51	42	7
	Democrats	11	87	2
	Independents	29	60	10

	5/28-31/15	27	66	7
	2/19-23/14	31	63	5
	1/17-21/14	31	62	8
	7/11-16/12	32	60	8

CNBC All-America Economic Survey conducted by Hart Research Associates (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R). June 19-22, 2015. N=800 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Which ONE of the following economic policies do you think is MOST important right now? Reducing the cost of health care. Reducing the federal deficit. Dealing with the minimum wage. Dealing with taxes paid by corporations. Dealing with government regulation of business. Dealing with taxes paid by individuals. Protecting America's interests on trade issues." If all or more than one: "Well, if you had to choose just ONE of these, which do you think is MOST important?"

		%
	Cost of health care	25
	The federal deficit	18
	The minimum wage	15
	Taxes paid by corporations	11
	Regulation of business	8
	Taxes paid by individuals	8
	Trade issues	6
	None of these/Other (vol.)	1
	Unsure	8

CBS News/New York Times Poll. May 28-31, 2015. N=1,022 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Which comes closer to your view? In today's economy, everyone has a fair chance to get ahead in the long run. OR, In today's economy, it's mainly just a few people at the top who have a chance to get ahead." Options rotated

		Everyone	A few people	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	35	61	4
	2/13-17/15	36	60	4
	1/17-21/14	52	43	5

"Do you think the gap between the rich and the poor in the U.S. is getting larger, getting smaller, or has it stayed the same?"

		Getting larger	Getting smaller	Stayed the same	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	67	5	25	3
	1/9-12/15	69	6	23	2
	1/17-21/14	70	5	24	2

"Do you think the gap between rich and poor in this country is a problem that needs to be addressed now, a problem but one that does not need to be addressed now, or not a problem?"

		Addressed now	Not addressed now	Not a problem	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	65	16	17	3

"Should the government do more to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor in this country, or is this something the government should not be doing?"

		Should do more	Should not be doing	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	57	39	4
	Republicans	34	64	1
	Democrats	81	15	5
	Independents	54	41	5

	1/9-12/15	55	39	6
	1/17-21/14	49	45	6

"Do you favor or oppose raising taxes on people earning more than $1 million per year?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	68	30	2

Gallup Poll. April 9-12, 2015. N=1,015 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As I read some names and groups, please tell me how much confidence you have in each to do or to recommend the right thing for the economy: a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or almost none. How about [see below]?"

		Great deal	Fair amount	Only a little	Almost none	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"President Barack Obama"
	4/9-12/15	20	30	14	33	2
	4/3-6/14	18	24	19	38	1
	4/6-9/09	38	33	14	15	-

	"Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellin"
	4/9-12/15	8	34	16	15	27
	4/3-6/14	9	28	24	19	20

	"The Democratic leaders in Congress"
	4/9-12/15	10	34	23	30	4
	4/3-6/14	9	26	24	37	4
	4/6-9/09	10	41	20	25	3
	4/6-9/08	8	41	24	23	4

	"The Republican leaders in Congress"
	4/9-12/15	6	32	26	32	5
	4/3-6/14	5	19	33	38	4
	4/6-9/09	5	33	30	28	4
	4/6-9/08	6	31	24	36	4

Pew Research Center. Feb. 18-22, 2015. N=1,504 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.9.

"As I read you some pairs of statements please tell me whether the FIRST statement or the SECOND statement comes closer to your own views even if neither is exactly right. ... "Government aid to the poor does more harm than good by making people too dependent on government assistance. Government aid to the poor does more good than harm because people can't get out of poverty until their basic needs are met."

		More harm than good	More good than harm	Neither/ Both (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/18-22/15	44	49	7
	Republicans	71	24	5
	Democrats	21	74	5
	Independents	46	46	8

	1/23 - 3/16/14	48	47	6
	1/15-19/14	44	49	7

"The economic system in this country unfairly favors powerful interests. The economic system in this country is generally fair to most Americans."

		Favors powerful interests	Generally fair	Neither/ Both (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/18-22/15	62	33	4
	1/29 - 2/9/14	62	34	4


"Most people who want to get ahead can make it if they're willing to work hard. Hard work and determination are no guarantee of success for most people."

		Can get ahead if willing to work hard	Hard work, determination no guarantee	Neither/ Both (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/18-22/15	64	33	2
	1/23 - 3/16/14	65	32	3
	1/15-19/14	60	38	3

CBS News Poll. Feb. 13-17, 2015. N=1,006 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of money if Congress does not pass a bill funding the department by February 27th. Do you think any agreement to fund Homeland Security should include changes to immigration policy, or do you think any agreement to fund Homeland Security should be kept separate from immigration policy?"

		Include changes to immigration	Keep separate	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	29	60	10
	Republicans	30	63	7
	Democrats	29	60	10
	Independents	29	59	12

CNN/ORC Poll. Feb. 12-15, 2015. N=1,027 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"If Congress and the President do not enact a new bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, the agency's funding will expire at the end of February and it may be forced to shut down. Suppose the Department of Homeland Security had to shut down for a few days because a new spending bill has not been enacted. Would you view a DHS shutdown that lasted a few days as a crisis, as a major problem, as a minor problem, or as not a problem at all?"

		A crisis	A major problem	A minor problem	Not a problem
		%	%	%	%
	2/12-15/15	15	40	27	18

"Now suppose the Department of Homeland Security had to shut down for a few weeks because a new spending bill has not been enacted. Would you view a DHS shutdown that lasted a few weeks as a crisis, as a major problem, as a minor problem, or as not a problem at all?"

		A crisis	A major problem	A minor problem	Not a problem
		%	%	%	%
	2/12-15/15	31	36	20	12

"If the Department of Homeland Security shuts down because a new spending bill has not been enacted, 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
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/12-15/15	30	53	13	2	2

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 12-15, 2015. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Overall, do you think large business corporations pay their fair share in taxes, pay too little, or pay too much?"

		Their fair share	Too little	Too much	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/12-15/15	19	65	9	7

"Thinking about the income gap between wealthy Americans and those who are less well off -- do you think this is a major problem facing this country, a problem but not a major one, or not a problem?"

		A major problem	A problem, not major	Not a problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/12-15/15	51	32	15	1

CBS News Poll. Jan. 9-12, 2015. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you feel you pay more than your fair share in federal income taxes, less than your fair share, or is the amount you pay about right?"

		More than fair share	Less than fair share	About right	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	1/9-12/15	37	2	58	3
	1/17-21/14	42	3	50	5
	1/20-23/12	40	2	52	6

"Do you think American corporations pay more than their fair share in federal income taxes, less than their fair share, or is the amount American corporations pay about right?"

		More than fair share	Less than fair share	About right	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	1/9-12/15	13	55	24	9
	3/14	11	56	22	11

CNN/ORC Poll. Nov. 21-23, 2014. N=1,045 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, on a regular basis, Congress must pass bills that authorize the federal government to spend money. When that legislation 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 view a government shutdown that lasted a few days as a crisis, as a major problem, as a minor problem, or as not a problem at all?"

		Crisis	Major problem	Minor problem	Not a problem
		%	%	%	%
	11/21-23/14	20	39	24	17

"Now suppose the federal government had to shut down for a few weeks because Congress did not pass a new spending bill. Would you view a government shutdown that lasted a few weeks as a crisis, as a major problem, as a minor problem, or as not a problem at all?"

		Crisis	Major problem	Minor problem	Not a problem
		%	%	%	%
	11/21-23/14	39	38	14	9

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

		Barack Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/21-23/14	33	50	13	2	2

USA Today Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Nov. 13-16, 2014. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.6.

"As you may know, starting in January Republicans will gain full control of both houses of Congress. Should Republicans in the current Congress support a spending bill that runs through September 2015, or should they support a SHORT-TERM bill so they can use spending as a negotiating tool when the new Republican Congress begins next year?"

		Support a bill through Sept. 2015	Support a short-term bill	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	11/13-16/14	30	45	21	4

Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. June 6-9, 2014. N=1,005 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Do you have a sense that the gap between the rich and everyone else is getting bigger, staying about the same, or getting smaller compared to 10 years ago?"

		Getting bigger	Staying the same	Getting smaller	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/6-9/14	67	20	9	4

"In thinking about the gap between the rich and everyone else, do you think it would be better for the government to implement policies designed to shrink that gap, or better for the government to stand aside and let the market operate freely even if the gap gets wider?" Options rotated

		Government implement policies	Let market operate freely	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/6-9/14	44	47	9
	3/7-10/14	45	43	12

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). April 23-27, 2014. N=approx. 500 adults nationwide.

"When you think about the current economic conditions, do you feel that this is a situation that Barack Obama has inherited or is this a situation his policies are mostly responsible for?"

		Obama inherited	Obama responsible	Some of both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/23-27/14	47	39	12	2
	6/20-24/12	60	26	11	3
	11/2-5/11	60	28	9	3
	8/27-31/11	56	33	9	2
	6/9-13/11	62	25	10	3
	12/9-13/10	65	21	12	2
	9/22-26/10	56	32	10	2
	1/10-14/10	65	17	16	2
	10/22-25/09	63	20	15	2
	6/12-15/09	72	14	10	4
	2/26 - 3/1/09	84	8	6	2

"Which of these best describes your view of the economy during Barack Obama's presidency? The economy has improved, and I give Barack Obama some credit for it. The economy has improved, but I do not give Barack Obama much credit for. The economy has not really improved." Options rotated

		Improved: Some credit to Obama	Improved: Not much credit to Obama	Not really improved
		%	%	%
	4/23-27/14	41	17	42

Gallup Poll. April 3-6, 2014. N=1,026 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
		%	%	%	%
	4/3-6/14	52	42	3	3
	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
		%	%	%
	4/3-6/14	54	41	5
	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"
	4/3-6/14	33	41	23	3
	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"
	4/3-6/14	42	49	7	2
	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"
	4/3-6/14	24	13	61	2
	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"
	4/3-6/14	20	8	66	5
	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

CNN/ORC Poll. Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2014. N=1,010 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think the policies of Barack Obama and the Democrats or George W. Bush and the Republicans are more responsible for the country's current economic problems?" RV = registered voters

		Obama, Democrats	Bush, Republicans	Both equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/31 - 2/2/14	34	44	14	5	2
	9/7-9/12 RV	35	57	6	2	1
	3/24-25/12	29	56	10	3	1
	9/23-25/11	32	52	13	2	2
	7/18-20/11	29	57	10	3	-
	4/29 - 5/1/11	30	55	10	4	-
	9/1-2/10	33	53	10	3	1

"As you may know, there is a limit to the amount of money the government can owe that is sometimes called the 'debt ceiling.' The Secretary of the Treasury says that the government will not have enough money to pay all of its debts and keep all existing government programs running unless Congress raises the debt ceiling by February. If the debt ceiling is not raised, 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
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/31 - 2/2/14	29	54	12	2	3

"Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The government should work to substantially reduce the income gap between the rich and the poor."

		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/31 - 2/2/14	66	31	3

"Do you think the policies of the Democratic Party generally favor the rich, favor the middle class, or favor the poor?"

		Favor the rich	Favor the middle class	Favor the poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/31 - 2/2/14	30	36	30	3

"Do you think the policies of the Republican Party generally favor the rich, favor the middle class, or favor the poor?"

		Favor the rich	Favor the middle class	Favor the poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/31 - 2/2/14	69	23	3	4

CBS News Poll. Jan. 17-21, 2014. N=1,018 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"In general, do you think the policies of the Republicans in Congress favor the rich, favor the middle class, favor the poor, or do they treat all groups equally?"

		Favor the rich	Favor the middle class	Favor the poor	Treat all equally	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/17-21/14	63	9	3	20	5
	9/19-23/13	65	12	2	15	6
	10/19-24/11	69	9	2	15	5

"In general, do you think the policies of the Obama Administration favor the rich, favor the middle class, favor the poor, or do they treat all groups equally?"

		Favor the rich	Favor the middle class	Favor the poor	Treat all equally	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/17-21/14	23	18	25	26	7
	9/19-23/13	25	23	25	21	5
	10/19-24/11	28	23	17	21	11
	8/20-24/10	27	18	17	28	10
	4/5-12/10	17	19	27	27	9
	2/5-10/10	22	24	18	25	11
	4/1-5/09	12	25	15	40	8

Pew Research Center/USA Today. Jan. 15-19, 2014. N=1,504 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.9.

"How much, if anything, should the government do to reduce poverty: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?" N=739 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2.

		A lot	Some	Not much	Nothing at all	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/15-19/14	53	29	8	6	4

"How much, if anything, should the government do to reduce the gap between the rich and everyone else: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?" N=765 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1.

		A lot	Some	Not much	Nothing at all	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/15-19/14	43	26	9	17	4

"How much do you think government policies and programs can do to reduce poverty in this country: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?" N=739 (Form 2), margin of error ą 4.2.

		A lot	Some	Not much	Nothing at all	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/15-19/14	40	37	14	5	4

"How much do you think government policies and programs can do to reduce the gap between the rich and everyone else in this country: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?" N=765 (Form 1), margin of error ą 4.1.

		A lot	Some	Not much	Nothing at all	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/15-19/14	38	29	18	12	3

"In your view, what would do more to reduce poverty: raising taxes on wealthy people and corporations in order to expand programs for the poor, OR, lowering taxes on wealthy people and corporations in order to encourage more investment and economic growth?" Options rotated

		Raising taxes	Lowering taxes	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	1/15-19/14	54	35	11

"I'm going to read you some pairs of statements. As I read each pair, tell me whether the FIRST statement or the SECOND statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right. ... The economic system in this country unfairly favors the wealthy. The economic system in this country is generally fair to most Americans."

		Unfairly favors the wealthy	Generally fair	Neither (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/15-19/14	60	36	4

CNN/ORC Poll. Dec. 16-19, 2013. N=1,035 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

12/19: "As you may know, last week the House of Representatives passed legislation that will fund the federal government for the next two years, and the Senate passed a version of that budget agreement on Wednesday. Based on what you have read or heard about this bill, do you approve or disapprove of that budget agreement?" 12/16-18: "As you may know, last week the House of Representatives passed legislation that would fund the federal government for the next two years, and the Senate is now considering that budget agreement. Based on what you have read or heard about this bill, do you approve or disapprove of that budget agreement?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	46	42	12
	Democrats	65	23	12
	Independents	42	47	11
	Republicans	28	58	14

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 12-15, 2013. N=1,005 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"As you may know, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress have agreed on a plan to finance the federal government through September 2015. Given what you know about it, would you say that you approve or disapprove of the agreement they've reached?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-15/13	50	35	16

"Do you think the federal government should or should not pursue policies that try to reduce the gap between wealthy and less well-off Americans?"

		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-15/13	57	37	6
	10/31 - 11/3/11	60	35	5

"Do you think federal government policies currently do more to favor less well-off Americans or more to favor the wealthy?" Options rotated

		Do more to favor less well-off	Do more to favor wealthy	Treat equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/12-15/13	26	64	5	5

Pew Research Center. Dec. 3-8, 2013. N=2,001 adults nationwide.

"Over the past year, do you think the country has made progress reducing the federal budget deficit, or not?" N=977 (Form 1), margin of error ą 3.6

		Has made progress	Has not made progress	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/3-8/13	29	66	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?" N=977 (Form 1), margin of error ą 3.6.

		Cutting programs	Increasing taxes	Combination	Don't focus on deficit (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/3-8/13	20	7	63	1	9
	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

"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. N=1,024 (Form 2), margin of error ą 3.6.

		Spending on recovery	Reducing the deficit	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	12/3-8/13	44	49	7
	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

"What is more important: taking steps to reduce the budget deficit or keeping spending for programs that help the poor and needy at current levels?" N=1,024 (Form 2), margin of error ą 3.6

		Reduce the deficit	Keep spending at current levels	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-8/13	33	59	4	4

"What is more important: taking steps to reduce the budget deficit or keeping military spending at current levels?" N=1,024 (Form 2), margin of error ą 3.6

		Reduce the deficit	Keep spending at current levels	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-8/13	51	40	4	5

"What is more important: taking steps to reduce the budget deficit or keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are?" N=1,024 (Form 2), margin of error ą 3.6

		Reduce the deficit	Keep benefits as they are	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-8/13	23	69	4	4

McClatchy-Marist Poll. Dec. 3-5, 2013. N=1,173 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.9

"Who do you think has a better approach to deal with the federal budget deficit . . . ?"

		Congressional Republicans	President Obama	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-5/13	46	41	8	5

"Do you think President Obama and the Republicans in Congress will reach a deal or not reach a deal on the federal budget before the next deadline?"

		Will reach a deal	Will not reach a deal	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-5/13	28	68	4

CBS News Poll. Oct. 18-21, 2013. N=1,007 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Who do you blame more for the partial government shutdown and the difficulties in reaching an agreement on the debt ceiling: the Republicans in Congress, or Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress?" Options rotated

		Republicans in Congress	Obama, Democrats	Both equally (vol.)	Mixed (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	46	35	14	1	4

"As you may know, Congress reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government until early next year. Do you approve or disapprove of this agreement?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	47	46	7

"Do you think the agreement to raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government should have included changes to the 2010 health care law, or should the agreement have been kept separate from the 2010 health care law?"

		Should have included health law	Should have been kept separate	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	18	75	7

"During the recent disagreements in Washington about the debt ceiling and funding the federal government, do you think the Republicans in Congress were mostly doing what they thought was best for the country or were they mostly concerned about gaining political advantage?"

		What was best for the country	Gaining political advantage	Some of each (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	24	71	2	3

"During the recent disagreements in Washington about the debt ceiling and funding the federal government, do you think Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress were mostly doing what they thought was best for the country or were they mostly concerned about gaining political advantage?"

		What was best for the country	Gaining political advantage	Some of each (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	42	55	1	2

"Looking ahead, have the negotiations over the debt ceiling and the government shutdown made you optimistic about the ability of this Congress to deal with future issues affecting the country, have they made you pessimistic, or has the debate had no effect on your outlook for how this Congress will deal with future issues?"

		Optimistic	Pessimistic	No effect	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	11	64	22	3

"As you may know, the current agreement in Congress to raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government is temporary, and the U.S. will face similar deadlines early next year. Are you concerned Congress will have difficulty reaching an agreement on these issues early next year, or not?"

		Are concerned	Are not concerned	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	89	11	1

"When you evaluate your own member of Congress, how much will his or her position on the debt ceiling and government shutdown matter? Will it matter a lot, somewhat, not much, or not at all?"

		A lot	Somewhat	Not much	Not at all	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	41	34	14	8	3

"As you may know, the largest items in the federal budget are Medicare, that is the government health insurance program for seniors; Social Security; and the military. If you HAD to choose ONE, which of the following programs would you be willing to change in order to cut spending: Medicare, Social Security, or the military?"

		The military	Medicare	Social Security	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	10/18-21/13	41	23	16	20
	9/19-23/13	49	20	14	17
	4/24-28/13	43	23	13	21

CNN/ORC Poll. Oct. 18-20, 2013. N=841 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"In general, do you think the shutdown was a good thing for the country or a bad thing for the country?"

		A good thing	A bad thing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	20	79	2
	Democrats	10	90	-
	Independents	19	79	2
	Republicans	35	62	4

"Who do you think was more responsible for the recent government shutdown: Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress?"

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/18-20/13	34	52	13	1	1

"As you may know, the government shutdown ended when legislation to fund all government programs and services was approved on Wednesday. Who do you think got more of what they wanted in the bill that ended the government shutdown: Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress?"

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/18-20/13	64	19	2	8	7

"That bill funds the government through January 15th, but unless Congress and the President agree on a plan to fund the government for a longer period, the government will shut down again at that time. How likely do you think it is that the federal government will shut down again in January: very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all?"

		Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not too likely	Not likely at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/18-20/13	37	34	18	9	1

"As you may know, the first legislative action which led to the government shutdown was a bill supported by the Republicans in Congress that would have prevented major parts of the new health care law from taking effect. Looking back, do you think it was a mistake for the Republicans in Congress to do that, or do you think it made sense at that time?"

		A mistake	Made sense	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/18-20/13	55	42	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Oct. 17-20, 2013. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling negotiations over the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	43	54	3
	10/9-13/13	42	53	5
	10/2-6/13	45	51	4
	9/25-29/13	41	50	10

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling negotiations over the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	21	77	2
	10/9-13/13	21	74	5
	10/2-6/13	24	70	5
	9/25-29/13	26	63	11

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling negotiations over the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	36	61	3
	10/9-13/13	33	61	6
	10/2-6/13	35	61	4
	9/25-29/13	34	56	11

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress who are affiliated with the Tea Party political movement are handling negotiations over the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	23	67	10

"Do you approve or disapprove of the partial shutdown of the U.S. government this month?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	17	81	2

"Who do you think was mainly responsible for the partial shutdown of the federal government: Obama or the Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	29	53	15	1	2

"Do you think the partial shutdown is an isolated incident, or a sign of broader problems in the political process in Washington?"

		Isolated incident	Broader problems	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	9	87	3

"Do you think the budget dispute in Washington has or has not damaged the United States' image in the world?"

		Has	Has not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	86	11	2

"Do you think the budget dispute in Washington has or has not damaged the morale of federal government employees?"

		Has	Has not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	82	13	5

"Do you think the budget dispute in Washington has or has not damaged the U.S. economy?"

		Has	Has not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	80	17	3

"Congress has agreed to end the government shutdown and raise the nation's debt limit through early next year. This agreement drops Republican efforts to change the federal health care law and sets up a commission to negotiate budget issues. Overall, do you support or oppose this agreement?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	51	41	8

"When the current agreement runs out early next year, how confident are you that Obama and the Republicans in Congress will avoid another budget crisis over the debt limit: very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?"

		Very confident	Somewhat confident	Not so confident	Not confident at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	4	23	31	41	1

"When it comes to finding the right balance between cutting government spending that is not needed and continuing government spending that is needed, who do you trust to do a better job: Obama or the Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	47	36	2	12	3
	3/7-10/13	43	44	1	9	3
	9/29 - 10/2/11	44	39	1	14	2
	6/2-5/11	41	44	2	11	2
	4/14-17/11	45	44	2	7	2
	3/10-13/11	43	42	2	10	3

"Do you think an agreement between Obama and Republicans in Congress to reduce the federal budget deficit should include only spending cuts, or a combination of spending cuts and tax increases?"

		Only cuts	Combination	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	37	59	5

"Some Republicans in Congress say reducing the federal deficit needs to be a part of an agreement to increase the debt ceiling in the future. Obama has said that increasing the debt ceiling should not be used as a tool in budget negotiations. Whose position do you agree with more: Obama's or that of some of the Republicans' in Congress?"

		Obama's	Republicans'	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/17-20/13	54	40	1	4	2

Gallup Poll. Oct. 14-15, 2013. N=1,076 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, as you may know, the president and Congress are trying to work out an agreement to increase the debt ceiling, the amount of money the government can legally borrow. The U.S. Treasury Department has said an agreement needs to be in place by October 17. Just your best guess, do you think an agreement to raise the debt limit will or will not be reached by the October 17 deadline?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-15/13	45	50	5

"If an agreement is not reached by the October 17 deadline, do you think an economic crisis will or will not result?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-15/13	60	36	4

"What would you like the people in government who represent your views on the debt and budget deficit to do in this situation? Should they hold out for the basic plan they want, even if the debt ceiling is not raised by the deadline, or should they agree to a compromise plan, even if it is a plan you disagree with?" Options rotated

		Hold out	Compromise	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-15/13	31	62	8

"Based on what you know or have read about their approach to the debt ceiling negotiations, do you think each of the following is putting their own political interests first, or putting the country's best interests first? "How about the Republicans in Congress?"

		Their own interests	Country's interests	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-15/13	73	22	6

"How about the Democrats in Congress?"

		Their own interests	Country's interests	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-15/13	63	30	7

"How about President Obama?"

		His own interests	Country's interests	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-15/13	55	41	5

Pew Research Center. Oct. 9-13, 2013. N=1,504 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.9.

"Who do you think is more to blame for the deadlock in Washington over the government shutdown and the debt limit: Republicans or the Obama administration?" Options rotated

		Republicans	Obama administration	Both equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/9-13/13	46	37	13	1	4

"Thinking about the government shutdown that started on October 1st: How concerned, if at all, are you about the government shutdown's effect on the U.S. economy? Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned?"

		Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not at all concerned	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/9-13/13	57	26	10	6	1
	10/3-6/13	48	29	14	9	1

"As you may know, the deadline to raise the nation's debt limit is also approaching, as soon as October 17th. From what you've read and heard, do you think it is absolutely essential that the federal debt limit be raised to avoid an economic crisis, or do you think the country can go past the deadline for raising the debt limit without major economic problems?" Options rotated

		Essential to raise limit	Can go past deadline	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/9-13/13	51	36	13
	Republicans	37	52	12
	Democrats	67	19	14
	Independents	49	38	13

	10/3-6/13	47	39	15

"Just your best guess, do you think Barack Obama and the Republicans will or will not resolve the debt limit issue before the deadline?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/9-13/13	52	44	5

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Oct. 7-9, 2013. N=800 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Thinking about President Obama and Republicans in Congress and their negotiations about the budget, does it make you feel more confident or less confident about the economy getting better or does it not make a difference in your opinion one way or the other?"

		More confident	Less confident	No difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	7	63	28	2

"Now, thinking about the recent debate over the federal budget, as you know, President Obama and the Republicans in Congress have not reached a budget agreement, and this has led to a shutdown of the federal government. Who do you think is more to blame for this shutdown: President Obama or the Republicans in Congress?"

		President Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both equal (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	31	53	13	3

"In your view, how serious a problem is this shutdown of the federal government: extremely serious, quite serious, just somewhat serious, or not that serious?"

		Extremely serious	Quite serious	Just somewhat serious	Not that serious	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	46	27	18	9	-
	11/95	29	28	23	18	2

"Have you or anyone in your family been affected by the federal government shutdown, in terms of employment, services, or benefits?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	31	68	1
	1/96	18	81	1
	11/95	18	81	1

"Which of these is closer to your own view of President Obama's actions and positions during the current budget disagreement? He is being a strong leader and standing up for what he believes in. He is putting his own political agenda ahead of what's good for the country."

		Standing up for what he believes in	Putting politics ahead of country	Both equal (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	46	51	1	2

"Which of these is closer to your own view of Congressional Republicans' actions and positions during the current budget disagreement? They are demonstrating strong leadership and standing up for what they believe in. They are putting their own political agenda ahead of what is good for the country."

		Standing up for what they believe in	Putting politics ahead of country	Both equal (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	27	70	1	2

"How much harm, if any, is the government shutdown having on the U.S. economy: a great deal, quite a bit, just some, very little, or none at all?"

		A great deal	Quite a bit	Just some	Very little	None at all
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	34	31	21	10	2

"Now, talking a moment about something called the federal debt ceiling: The federal debt ceiling limits the amount of money the government can borrow. When the U.S. Treasury needs to issue debt above the ceiling in order to avoid going into bankruptcy and to pay the government's bills, Congress needs to vote to raise the ceiling. Which of the following causes you more concern: that Congress will not raise the debt ceiling and the federal government will not pay its bills, such as defaulting on its loans and not making payments to Social Security recipients and government workers; that Congress will raise the debt ceiling and that federal spending will increase and the government will go further into debt as a result -- OR, do you not know enough about this to have an opinion at this time?"

		Will not raise debt ceiling	Will raise debt ceiling	Don't know enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	37	41	19	3

"The president has asked Congress to raise the debt ceiling, and the Congress is currently considering whether to raise it. If Congress does not vote to raise the debt ceiling, do you believe that this would be a real and serious problem or not? If you do not know enough to have an opinion, please say so." Half sample (Form A)

		A real, serious problem	Not a real, serious problem	Don't know enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	63	15	22	1

"President Obama says he will not negotiate with Republicans in Congress about the health care law and the federal budget until Congress has reopened the government and raised the country's debt ceiling limit. Do you agree or disagree with the President on this? If you do not know enough about this to have an opinion, please just say so and we will move on." If agree or disagree: "And, do you strongly or just somewhat agree/disagree with the president on this?"

		Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Somewhat disagree	Strongly disagree	Don't know enough
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/7-9/13	30	10	7	36	16

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 3-6, 2013. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"Republicans in the House of Representatives passed legislation that only kept the government operating if President Obama agreed to delay or stop funding his health reform plan. The President and the Senate refused to support a bill including such a provision. Do you think the House is right to fund the continuing operations of the federal government only if Obama agrees to delay or withdraw his health care plan, OR, do you think Congress should provide the funding to keep the government operating and deal with the health care issue separately?" Options rotated 9/13: "Some Republicans in the House of Representatives say they will not support a bill to keep the government operating unless it includes a provision to delay or defund President Obama's health reform plan. The White House says it will not sign a bill including such a provision. Do you think Congress should only fund the continuing operations of the federal government if Obama agrees to delay or withdraw his health care plan, OR, provide the funding to keep the government operating and deal with the health care issue separately?"

		Only if delay or withdraw health plan	Deal with health issue separately	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	24	65	11

	9/19-22/13	27	63	10

"As far as you know, when Congress votes to increase the debt ceiling, do you believe that means the federal government is increasing the amount of money it borrows to pay for future expenditures, OR, the federal government is paying off the debts it has already accumulated?" Options rotated

		Future expenditures	Accumulated debts	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	62	28	10

"Congressional Republicans say they will only agree to increase the federal debt ceiling if President Obama accepts their proposals on other issues. Please tell me whether you think the following proposals should be included in any agreement about the debt ceiling, or should be dealt with separately. ..."

		Include	Deal with separately	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%

	"A one-year delay for the implementation of President Obama's health care law"
	10/3-6/13	31	65	4

	"A requirement that President Obama authorize the construction of the Keystone Pipeline to transport oil from Canada to the U.S."
	10/3-6/13	24	70	6

	"Cuts in spending for domestic discretionary programs"
	10/3-6/13	30	60	10

	"Cuts in spending on Medicare, Medicaid and other federal entitlement programs"
	10/3-6/13	29	68	3

"When it comes to making decisions about the federal deficit and debt, who do you trust more: President Obama or congressional Republicans?" Options rotated

		President Obama	Congressional Republicans	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	45	37	18

"Now thinking about the across-the-board federal spending cuts known as the sequester that took place in March: Have you seen any impact of these cuts in your community or on you personally since they took place, or not?"

		Have seen impact	Have not seen impact	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	23	74	3

Pew Research Center. Oct. 3-6, 2013. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"As I read a list of some stories covered by news organizations this past week, please tell me if you happened to follow each news story very closely, fairly closely, not too closely, or not at all closely. ... The shutdown of the federal government." 9/13: "... Congress working on a budget agreement to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September."

		Very closely	Fairly closely	Not too closely	Not at all closely	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	43	30	15	11	-
	9/19-22/13	25	24	21	30	1

"Who do you think is more to blame for the federal government shutdown: Republicans or the Obama administration?" Options rotated

		Republicans	Obama administration	Both equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	38	30	19	2	11

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling negotiations over the government shutdown?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	38	50	12

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Republican leaders in Congress are handling negotiations over the government shutdown?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	19	69	12

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Democratic leaders in Congress are handling negotiations over the government shutdown?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	29	58	13

"In the current debate over the government shutdown, what would you like lawmakers who share your views to do: should they stand by their principles, even if that means the government shutdown continues, OR, should they be more willing to compromise, even if that means they reach a deal you disagree with?" Options rotated

		Stand by their principles	Be more willing to compromise	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	29	61	10

"As you may know, the main point of disagreement in the government shutdown is over whether changes to the 2010 health care law should be included in a budget deal. Obama has said any budget deal must NOT include cuts or delays to the health care law because they are separate issues. Republican leaders have said that any budget deal must include cuts or delays to the health care law because the law is bad for the country. Who do you think should give ground in this disagreement? Should Obama agree to a bill that INCLUDES cuts or delays to the health care law, or should Republican leaders agree to a bill WITHOUT cuts or delays to the health care law?" Options rotated

		Obama should give ground	Republicans should give ground	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	10/3-6/13	42	44	14

Gallup Poll. Oct. 2-3, 2013. N=1,021 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As you may know, the Republicans in Congress and President Obama have not reached an agreement on the federal budget. As a result, the federal government has shut down all non-essential services. Do you personally view this shutdown as a crisis, as a major problem, as a minor problem or as not a problem at all?"

		A crisis	A major problem	A minor problem	Not a problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/2-3/13	21	49	18	8	3

"As a consequence of the shutdown, do you feel more negative or more positive toward President Obama?"

		More negative	More positive	Neither/No effect (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/2-3/13	57	28	13	3

"As a consequence of the shutdown, do you feel more negative or more positive toward the Republican leaders in Congress?"

		More negative	More positive	Neither/No effect (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/2-3/13	61	24	10	5

"As a consequence of the shutdown, do you feel more negative or more positive toward the Democratic leaders in Congress?"

		More negative	More positive	Neither/No effect (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/2-3/13	58	26	12	5

CBS News Poll. Oct. 1-2, 2013. N=1,021 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress are handling the current negotiations over the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	35	61	4

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling the current negotiations over the federal budget?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	24	72	4

"In negotiations about the federal budget, 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/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	76	21	1	2
	Republicans	90	6	1	3
	Democrats	61	36	1	2
	Independents	80	18	1	2

"In negotiations about the federal budget, 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/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	78	18	1	3
	Republicans	59	38	-	3
	Democrats	94	4	1	1
	Independents	78	16	1	5

"Do you approve or disapprove of partially shutting down the government over differences about the 2010 health care law?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	25	72	3
	Republicans	48	49	3
	Democrats	12	86	2
	Independents	21	76	3

"Who do you blame more for the partial government shutdown: the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress?"

		Republicans in Congress	Obama, Democrats	Equally/ Both (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	44	35	17	4
	Republicans	10	73	15	2
	Democrats	76	9	11	3
	Independents	40	30	24	7

"From what you know so far, do you think any agreement on the federal budget should also cut off the funding for the 2010 health care law, or any agreement on the federal budget should be kept separate from discussions about funding the 2010 health care law?"

		Also cut health care law funding	Keep discussions separate	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	26	66	8
	Republicans	52	40	7
	Democrats	9	81	11
	Independents	24	70	7

"Which do you think should be the higher priority for Congress right now: passing a resolution to get the federal government running again, or stopping some provisions of the 2010 health care law from going into effect?"

		Getting government running	Stopping health care law	Both (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	73	21	2	4
	Republicans	46	47	3	4
	Democrats	90	6	2	2
	Independents	77	17	2	4

"Do you think the federal government can operate effectively during a partial shutdown, or not"

		Can	Cannot	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	35	62	3

"Do you think you will be personally affected by the cutback in government services or programs caused by a partial government shutdown, or not?"

		Will be	Will not be	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	47	50	3

"How likely do you think it will be that the economy and the stock market will take a severe downturn due to the partial government shutdown: very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely?"

		Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not very likely	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	34	41	23	2

"Do you think Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be able to negotiate with the Republicans in Congress to resolve the budget standoff in the near future, or do you think the budget standoff will continue for a long time?"

		Negotiate in near future	Continue for a long time	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	51	42	6
	Republicans	47	47	6
	Democrats	62	33	5
	Independents	46	46	8

"In the current budget debate, who do you think is more concerned about doing what is best for you and your family: the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress?"

		Republicans in Congress	Obama, Democrats	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	37	48	3	9	2

"As you may know, there is a debate in Washington about raising the federal debt ceiling, which is the amount of money that the federal government can borrow to pay its bills. Which of these comes closest to your feelings about raising the debt ceiling now? It should be raised without conditions, because the government must pay its existing bills and obligations. OR, It should be raised, but only with the condition that the government also cuts spending to offset it. OR, It should not be raised under any condition, even if that means the U.S. could default on its loans and obligations."

		Raised without conditions	Raised only if spending is cut	Not raised, even if leads to default	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	23	55	20	2
	9/19-23/13	17	55	24	4

"If you had to choose, which would be more acceptable to you: reaching an agreement on the debt ceiling that you did not fully support, or not reaching an agreement on the debt ceiling and having the U.S. go into default on its debts?" Options rotated

		Agreement you did not fully support	No agreement and having U.S. default	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	77	17	6
	9/19-23/13	69	21	9

"Do you think Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress probably will or probably will not reach an agreement with the Republicans in Congress on raising the debt ceiling before the October 17th deadline?"

		Probably will	Probably will not	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	47	46	7

"From what you know so far, do you think any agreement on raising the debt ceiling should also cut off the funding for the 2010 health care law, or any agreement on raising the debt ceiling should be kept separate from discussions about funding the 2010 health care law?"

		Also cut health care law funding	Keep discussions separate	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	10/1-2/13	26	69	5

CNN/ORC Poll. Sept. 27-29, 2013. N=803 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"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
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	27	68	4	1
	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
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	19	79	2	-
	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?" N=515 adults (Version A), margin of error ą 4.5.

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	36	46	13	2	2
	9/6-8/13	33	51	12	3	1
	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

"Which do you think is more important for Congress to do? Approving a budget agreement that would avoid a government shutdown. OR, Preventing major provisions in the new health care law from taking effect by cutting the funds needed to implement them." Options rotated

		Approve budget agreement	Cut funds for new health care law	Both/ Equal (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	60	34	2	3
	Democrats	81	15	1	3
	Independents	57	36	3	4
	Republicans	38	56	3	3

"Do you think Barack Obama has acted mostly like a responsible adult or mostly like a spoiled child during the recent debate over the federal budget?"

		Responsible adult	Spoiled child	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	49	47	5

"Do you think the Republicans in Congress have acted mostly like responsible adults or mostly like spoiled children during the recent debate over the federal budget?"

		Responsible adults	Spoiled children	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	25	69	6

"Do you think the Democrats in Congress have acted mostly like responsible adults or mostly like spoiled children during the recent debate over the federal budget?"

		Responsible adults	Spoiled children	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	35	58	7

"As you may know, there is a limit to the amount of money the government can owe that is sometimes called the 'debt ceiling.' In addition to the current debate over a possible government shutdown, Congress must also deal with the debt ceiling in the next few weeks. The Secretary of the Treasury says that the government will not have enough money to pay all of its debts and keep all existing government programs running unless Congress raises the debt ceiling by the middle of October. "If the debt ceiling is not raised, 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
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	38	56	3	2

"If the debt ceiling is not raised, 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
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	31	53	10	2	4
	9/6-8/13	25	54	15	3	2
	7/18-20/11	30	51	15	3	1

"Which do you think is more important for Congress to do? Raising the debt ceiling to make sure the government has enough money to pay its debts. OR, Delaying the date on which major provisions in the new health care law will take effect."

		Raise the debt ceiling	Delay health the care law	Both/ Equal (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/13	51	43	2	5

Quinnipiac University Poll. Sept. 23-29, 2013. N=1,497 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.5.

"As you may know, automatic cuts in the federal budget, known as sequestration, went into effect on March 1st. 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 about it to say?"

		A good thing	A bad thing	Don't know enough	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	18	31	50	1
	Republicans	32	23	44	1
	Democrats	5	40	54	1
	Independents	20	30	48	1

"To help reduce the federal budget deficit, do you think government spending on food stamps that go to low-income families should be cut or not?"

		Should be cut	Should not be cut	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	ALL	28	66	5
	Republicans	52	40	8
	Democrats	11	85	4
	Independents	29	66	5

Gallup Poll. Sept. 27-28, 2013. N=1,024 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Now, thinking about the budget debate which has been going on in Washington, who do you think has acted more responsibly in the negotiations over the budget: President Obama or the Republican leaders in Congress?"

		President Obama	Republican leaders	Neither (vol.)	Both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/27-28/13	40	35	11	1	13

"Which of the following statements comes closer to your view about the budget debate between Barack Obama and the Republicans in Congress: it is an important battle over principles and the future direction of government, or it is mostly an attempt by both sides to gain political advantage?" Options rotated

		Principles, direction of government	Attempt to gain political advantage	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-28/13	37	47	15

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 19-23, 2013. N=1,014 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"In general, do you think it is acceptable for a president or members of Congress to threaten a government shutdown during their budget negotiations in order to achieve their goals, or is that not an acceptable way to negotiate?"

		Acceptable	Not acceptable	Depends (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/13	16	80	1	2

"As you may know, if a budget agreement in Washington is not reached by the end of the month, the federal government could partially shut down. Who would you blame more if there is a partial shutdown of the federal government: the Republicans in Congress, or Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress?" Options rotated

		Republicans	Obama and Democrats	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/13	44	35	16	4

"Do you think Barack Obama and the Republicans in Congress probably will or probably will not reach an agreement on the federal budget before the deadline of October 1st?"

		Probably will	Probably will not	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	9/19-23/13	48	47	4

"From what you know so far, do you think any agreement on the federal budget and the debt ceiling should also cut off the funding for the 2010 health care law, or any agreement on the federal budget and the debt ceiling should be kept separate from discussions about funding the 2010 health care law?" Options rotated

		Also cut off health care funding	Keep discussions separate	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	9/19-23/13	31	60	9

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Sept. 19-22, 2013. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.6.

"Some Republicans in the House of Representatives say they will not support a bill to keep the government operating unless it includes a provision to delay or defund President Obama's health reform plan. The White House says it will not sign a bill including such a provision. Do you think Congress should only fund the continuing operations of the federal government if Obama agrees to delay or withdraw his health care plan, OR, provide the funding to keep the government operating and deal with the health care issue separately?" Options rotated

		Only if delay or withdraw health plan	Deal with health issue separately	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	27	63	10

"Some Republicans in the House of Representatives want to attach a provision to delay or defund President Obama's health reform plan to any proposed increase in the country's debt limit. The White House says it will not negotiate over the debt ceiling. Do you think Congress should only increase the U.S. debt limit if Obama agrees to delay or withdraw his health care plan, OR, increase the U.S. debt limit and deal with the health care issue separately?" Options rotated

		Only if delay or withdraw health plan	Deal with health issue separately	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	31	52	16

"Republicans want to repeal the health care law partly because they say it will cost too much, especially as more people begin to receive benefits. The independent Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the deficit would actually increase if the law were repealed because the loss of taxes and fees tied to the program would offset any savings gained by not providing benefits to people. Which of the following comes closer to your own view? Congress should repeal the program to expand coverage because the government can't afford it at a time of large budget deficits. OR, Congress should keep the program to expand coverage because it's important to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance." Options rotated

		Repeal it	Keep it	Neither/ Both (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	44	49	2	5

Pew Research Center. Sept. 19-22, 2013. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"As I read a list of some stories covered by news organizations this past week, please tell me if you happened to follow each news story very closely, fairly closely, not too closely, or not at all closely. ... Congress working on a budget agreement to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September."

		Very closely	Fairly closely	Not too closely	Not at all closely	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	25	24	21	30	1

"Now thinking about the budget debate in Washington: If there is not a budget agreement by the end of September the federal government will have to shut down many of its operations until a budget is passed. What would you like lawmakers who share your views on this issue to do? Should they stand by their principles, even if that means the government shuts down, or, should they be more willing to compromise, even if that means they pass a budget you disagree with?" Options rotated

		Stand by their principles	Be more willing to compromise	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	33	57	10

"Just your best guess, do you think Republicans in Congress and the Obama administration will or will not reach a budget agreement before the September 30th deadline?"

		Will	Will not	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	46	45	9

"If an agreement is not reached and there is a government shutdown, do you think this would have a major effect, minor effect or no effect on the U.S. economy?"

		Major effect	Minor effect	No effect	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	61	30	6	3

"If the federal government shuts down because Republicans and the Obama administration can't agree on a budget, who do you think would be more to blame: Republicans or the Obama administration?" Options rotated

		Republicans	Obama administration	Both equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	39	36	17	2	6

"As you may know, Republicans in the House of Representatives have said that funding for the 2010 health care law must be cut off as part of any budget agreement. Do you support or oppose this proposal?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/13	38	50	13

CNBC Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Sept. 16-19, 2013. N=812 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.4.

"The federal debt ceiling limits the amount of money the government can borrow. When the U.S. Treasury needs to issue debt above the ceiling in order to avoid going into bankruptcy and defaulting on its obligations, Congress needs to vote to raise the ceiling. Which of the following causes you more concern: that Congress will NOT raise the debt ceiling and the federal government will not meet its financial obligations, such as defaulting on its loans and not making payments to Social Security recipients and government workers; that Congress WILL raise the debt ceiling and that federal spending will increase and the government will go further into debt as a result; OR, do you not know enough about this to have an opinion at this time?"

		Will not raise debt ceiling	Will raise debt ceiling	Don't know enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/16-19/13	41	47	6	6

Budget, taxes, economic policy continued

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