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       Social Security (p. 2)                          See also: Budget and Taxes

Polls listed chronologically. All data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older. 
 
 
 

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Feb. 24-28, 2005. N=1,111 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults).
   

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"Would you favor or oppose raising the age at which a person can retire and receive Social Security benefits?"
   

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Favor Oppose Unsure
% % %
2/24-28/05 19 77 4
   

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"Would you favor or oppose making the Social Security system voluntary, so that people can choose not to pay Social Security taxes and not to get benefits?"
   

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Favor Oppose Unsure
% % %
2/24-28/05 37 59 4
   

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"President Bush says that Social Security is facing a funding crisis and that by the year 2042 the program will be bankrupt. What do you think he means? Do you think he means the federal government will have to reduce Social Security benefits it pays retirees because it's not collecting enough money to pay full benefits, or the federal government will not be able to pay retirees any Social Security benefit because it has no money at all?"
   

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Reduce
Benefits		 No Money
At All		 Full Benefits
But Borrow
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % %
2/24-28/05 40 47 3 10
   

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"Do you think the Social Security program will be bankrupt by the year 2042 if no major changes are made now, or not?"
   

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Will Will Not Depends
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % %
2/24-28/05 63 25 4 8

 

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 25-27, 2005. Nationwide.

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"Which do you think is riskier for average American workers today: investing some of their Social Security taxes in stocks and bonds, or relying on the Social Security system to pay them the current level of benefits when they retire?" Options rotated. Form B (N=482 adults, MoE ± 5).

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Investing
In Market		 Relying on
S.S. System		 Unsure
% % %

2/25-27/05

 46 50 4

 

Associated Press/Ipsos poll conducted by Ipsos-Public Affairs. Feb. 22-24, 2005. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.1.

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"Who do you trust more to handle the issue of Social Security . . . ?"

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The
Democrats		 The
Republicans		 Neither
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % %
2/22-24/05 43 37 16 4

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"President Bush has proposed that workers who are currently under age 55 should be given the option of investing a portion of their Social Security taxes in the stock market and in bonds, while at the same time reducing the guaranteed Social Security benefit they get when they retire. Depending on what happens to those investments in stocks and bonds, their Social Security benefit could be higher or lower. Do you support or oppose this proposal?" Asked of half of the sample

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Support Oppose Unsure
% % %
2/22-24/05 39 55 6

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"Some people have proposed that workers who are currently under age 55 should be given the option of investing a portion of their Social Security taxes in the stock market and in bonds, while at the same time reducing the guaranteed Social Security benefit they get when they retire. Depending on what happens to those investments in stocks and bonds, their Social Security benefit could be higher or lower. Do you support or oppose this proposal?" Asked of other half of the sample

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Support Oppose Unsure
% % %
2/22-24/05 45 51 4

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"If you personally were allowed to invest part of your Social Security taxes in the stock market or in bonds, do you expect that you would receive more money in retirement, about the same amount of money, or less money in retirement than if the government were managing all of your Social Security taxes?" Asked of half of the sample

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More Less Same Unsure
% % % %
2/22-24/05 39 34 22 5

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"If Americans were allowed to invest part of their Social Security taxes in the stock market or in bonds, do you expect that most would receive more money in retirement, about the same amount of money, or less money in retirement than if the government were managing all of their Social Security taxes?" Asked of other half of the sample

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More Less Same Unsure
% % % %
2/22-24/05 35 41 18 6

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"Please tell me if you would support or oppose each of the following measures as ways of helping to solve the financial problems facing the Social Security program. . . ."

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Support Oppose Unsure
% % %

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"Requiring those earning more than $90,000 per year to pay Social Security taxes on all of their earnings"
2/22-24/05 74 24 2

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"Increasing the retirement age for all workers"
2/22-24/05 32 66 2

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"Increasing payroll taxes on all workers"
2/22-24/05 30 68 2

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"Cutting retirement benefits for future retirees"
2/22-24/05 11 87 2

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"Cutting retirement benefits for current retirees"
2/22-24/05 7 93 -

 

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Feb. 10-14, 2005. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.1.

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"Recently there has been discussion in Congress about changing the Social Security and health care systems. Some of the proposals on these issues would offer people fewer guarantees for the future, but would give people more responsibility and personal ownership. Thinking about Social Security and health care, where do you believe Congress should place more emphasis: on providing guarantees for the future, or on giving people more responsibility and personal control?"

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Guarantees Personal
Control		 Depends
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % %
2/10-14/05 61 32 5 2

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"Which is your greater concern about changing the Social Security system: going too far in changing the system and harming a good program, or doing too little to change the system and risking that the system will fall apart?"

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Going
Too Far		 Doing
Too Little		 Unsure
% % %
2/10-14/05 48 46 6

 

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Feb. 8-9, 2005. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Do you feel that you generally understand how the proposal to let people invest a portion of their Social Security contributions in personal or private accounts would work or do you feel that you need more information to understand the proposal?"

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Generally
Understand		 Need More
Information		 Unsure    
% % %    
2/8-9/05 37 59 4    

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"Which political party -- the Democrats or the Republicans -- do you trust more to handle Social Security today?" Options rotated

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Democrats Republicans Neither
(vol.)		 Both
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % % %
2/8-9/05 40 34 15 3 8

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"Do you think you would be better off or worse off if George W. Bush's plan for Social Security passes?"

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Better Off Worse Off No Differ-
ence (vol.)		 Unsure  
% % % %  
2/8-9/05 27 41 14 17  

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"Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? . . ."

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    Agree Disagree Unsure
    % % %

The Social Security system is in a state of crisis

 57 33 10

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Americans today have a duty to reform Social Security so the system will be available for future generations

 82 11 7

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If the Social Security system is left unchanged, the program will go bankrupt by the year 2042

 51 31 18

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"I am going to read some pairs of arguments that have been made for and against allowing workers to invest a portion of their Social Security contributions in private accounts. Please tell me which statement is closer to your opinion. The first pair of statements is:

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"Allowing private investments will strengthen Social Security and lead to the long-term stability of the system. OR, Allowing private investments will weaken Social Security and is a step toward dismantling the system." Options rotated

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Strengthen Weaken Unsure    
% % %    
2/8-9/05 42 39 19    

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"It is important enough to create private accounts that we should do it even if it leads to a larger federal deficit in the short term. OR, We should not be considering changes to the Social Security system that could lead to a larger federal deficit." Options rotated

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Even if
Larger
Deficit		 Not if
Larger
Deficit		 Unsure    
% % %    
2/8-9/05 33 49 18    

 

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 4-6, 2005. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Which of these statements do you think best describes the Social Security system: it is in a state of crisis, it has major problems, it has minor problems, or it does not have any problems?"

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Crisis Major
Problems		 Minor
Problems		 No
Problems		 Unsure
% % % % %

2/4-6/05

 17 55 23 4 1

1/7-9/05

 18 53 24 3 2

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"Assuming there would be no change in Social Security benefits for those who are now age 55 or older, do you think each of the following would be a good idea or a bad idea to address concerns with the Social Security system? How about . . . ?"

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    Good Idea Bad Idea Unsure
    % % %

Limiting benefits for wealthy retirees

 68 29 3

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Requiring higher income workers to pay Social Security taxes on ALL of their wages

 67 30 3

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Further reducing the total amount of benefits a person would receive if they retired early 40 57 3

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Increasing Social Security taxes for all workers 37 60 3

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Increasing the age at which people are eligible to receive full benefits 35 63 2

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Reducing retirement benefits for people who are currently under age 55 29 67 4

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"Do you think the Social Security system will or will not be bankrupt by the year 2042 if major changes are not made to the system?"

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Will Will Not Unsure
% % %

2/4-6/05

 64 30 6

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"Suppose Americans were allowed to invest a portion of all the Social Security taxes that they paid in their lifetime in stocks and bonds. When they retired, do you think most Americans would receive higher Social Security benefits than the government would provide, about the same benefits, or lower Social Security benefits than the government would provide?" Options rotated

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Higher Same Lower Unsure
% % % %

2/4-6/05

 30 27 37 6

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"What about you? Do you think that if you had invested a portion of all the Social Security taxes that you have paid in your lifetime in stocks and bonds that you would receive higher Social Security benefits than the government would provide, about the same benefits, or lower Social Security benefits than the government would provide?" Options rotated

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Higher Same Lower Unsure
% % % %

2/4-6/05

 40 29 27 4

 

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Feb. 3-4, 2005. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults).

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"Now on the subject of Social Security: When you retire, do you expect that Social Security will be able to pay all the benefits you are entitled to under current law, or not?"

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Will Will Not Already
Retired/Get
Benefits
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % %
ALL 39 43 13 5
  18-34 years 32 62 0 6
  35-44 years 37 56 0 7
  45-54 years 42 49 4 5
  55 & older 44 16 37 3

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"President Bush says that Social Security is facing a funding crisis and that by about 2040 the system will be bankrupt. Based on what you've heard or read, do you agree or disagree that Social Security faces a funding crisis?"

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Agree Disagree Unsure
% % %
2/3-4/05 65 26 9

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"If there is a looming financial problem for Social Security, which of the following do you think is the most important reason? Social Security benefits are too generous. Payroll taxes aren't high enough to fund the system. The baby boom generation is so large that the next generation of workers won't be able to pay enough into the system to fund their benefits." Options rotated

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Benefits
Too
Generous		 Taxes Too
Low		 Too Many
Boomers		 Other
(vol.)		 Unsure
% % % % %
2/3-4/05 9 14 56 12 9

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"In general, which do you think is the best way to run Social Security? Taxing one generation to pay for the retirement of another, the way the system has operated since it started in 1935. OR, Using the government to direct workers' money into the stock market in an effort to generate a higher rate of return on retirement savings."

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Current
System		 Use Stock
Market		 Neither/
Other (vol.)		 Unsure
% % % %
2/3-4/05 40 39 11 10
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