Feenix566
03-25-2009, 11:53 AM
45% Say Stop All Bailouts for Financial Industry
Monday, March 23, 2009
Forty-five percent (45%) of American adults say it’s time to stop all bailout funding for the financial industry. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 34% disagree while 21% are not sure.
The findings come amidst growing public anger over $165 million in executive bonuses paid out at American International Group (AIG) after the ailing insurance giant had received a $170 billion bailout from the federal government to stay in business.
As with other topics concerning bailouts, there is a huge gap between the Political Class and Mainstream America on this issue. By a 76% to nine percent (9%) margin, the Political Class believes the bailout should continue. By a 58% to 26% margin, those with Populist views disagree and say the bailouts should stop. Most Americans have Populist attitudes and their perspective can reasonably be considered the perspective of Mainstream America.
Most men say all bailout payments should stop while women are evenly divided. A plurality of adults under 30 say the bailouts should continue, but their elders hold the opposite view.
Middle income Americans, those earning $40,000 to $100,000 a year, want the bailouts to stop by a 52% to 31% margin. Those who earn less than $40,000 or more than $100,000 are evenly divided on the question.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls.) Rasmussen Reports updates also available on Twitter.
The gap between Mainstream America and the Political Class is much bigger than the gap between Republicans and Democrats within each group.
Among those in the Mainstream, 62% of Republicans want to stop all bailout payments along with 52% of Democrats and 51% of those not affiliated with either major party.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/federal_bailout/45_say_stop_all_bailouts_for_financial_industry
55% of Americans Are Populist, 7% Support the Political Class
Friday, March 20, 2009
There has been a lot of talk recently about populist outrage at the corporate and political shenanigans surrounding the financial bailout. As a result, Rasmussen Reports created a tool to measure the differing views of the Political Class and Mainstream America.
The mainstream, or populist, view sees big government and big business as political allies rather than political opponents.
The Political Class Index is based on three questions. All three clearly address populist tendencies and perspectives, all three have strong public support, and, for all three questions, the populist perspective is generally shared by Democrats, Republicans and those not affiliated with either of the major parties. We have asked the questions before, and the results change little whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge of the government.
From time-to-time, Rasmussen Reports will release data highlighting the gap between Mainstream America and the Political Class on issues of the day.
Preliminary results indicate that 55% of Americans can be classified on the populist or Mainstream side of the divide. Only seven percent (7%) side with the Political Class. When leaners are included, 75% lean in the Mainstream direction and 14% lean the other way.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) of those on the populist side of the debate are Republicans, 36% are Democrats, and 27% are not affiliated with either major party.
Twenty-two percent (22%) of government employees are aligned with the Political Class along with just four percent (4%) of private sector workers.
The biggest surprise so far is that a plurality of the Political Class believes the economy is getting better while 66% of those in the Mainstream say it’s getting worse.
The questions used to calculate the Index are:
-- Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?
-- Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?
-- Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?
To create a scale, each response earns a plus 1 for the populist answer, a minus 1 for the political class answer, and a 0 for not sure.
Those who score 2 or higher are considered a populist or part of the Mainstream. Those who score -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered leaners in one direction or the other.
In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/ideology/55_of_americans_are_populist_7_support_the_politic al_class
Monday, March 23, 2009
Forty-five percent (45%) of American adults say it’s time to stop all bailout funding for the financial industry. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 34% disagree while 21% are not sure.
The findings come amidst growing public anger over $165 million in executive bonuses paid out at American International Group (AIG) after the ailing insurance giant had received a $170 billion bailout from the federal government to stay in business.
As with other topics concerning bailouts, there is a huge gap between the Political Class and Mainstream America on this issue. By a 76% to nine percent (9%) margin, the Political Class believes the bailout should continue. By a 58% to 26% margin, those with Populist views disagree and say the bailouts should stop. Most Americans have Populist attitudes and their perspective can reasonably be considered the perspective of Mainstream America.
Most men say all bailout payments should stop while women are evenly divided. A plurality of adults under 30 say the bailouts should continue, but their elders hold the opposite view.
Middle income Americans, those earning $40,000 to $100,000 a year, want the bailouts to stop by a 52% to 31% margin. Those who earn less than $40,000 or more than $100,000 are evenly divided on the question.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls.) Rasmussen Reports updates also available on Twitter.
The gap between Mainstream America and the Political Class is much bigger than the gap between Republicans and Democrats within each group.
Among those in the Mainstream, 62% of Republicans want to stop all bailout payments along with 52% of Democrats and 51% of those not affiliated with either major party.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/federal_bailout/45_say_stop_all_bailouts_for_financial_industry
55% of Americans Are Populist, 7% Support the Political Class
Friday, March 20, 2009
There has been a lot of talk recently about populist outrage at the corporate and political shenanigans surrounding the financial bailout. As a result, Rasmussen Reports created a tool to measure the differing views of the Political Class and Mainstream America.
The mainstream, or populist, view sees big government and big business as political allies rather than political opponents.
The Political Class Index is based on three questions. All three clearly address populist tendencies and perspectives, all three have strong public support, and, for all three questions, the populist perspective is generally shared by Democrats, Republicans and those not affiliated with either of the major parties. We have asked the questions before, and the results change little whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge of the government.
From time-to-time, Rasmussen Reports will release data highlighting the gap between Mainstream America and the Political Class on issues of the day.
Preliminary results indicate that 55% of Americans can be classified on the populist or Mainstream side of the divide. Only seven percent (7%) side with the Political Class. When leaners are included, 75% lean in the Mainstream direction and 14% lean the other way.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) of those on the populist side of the debate are Republicans, 36% are Democrats, and 27% are not affiliated with either major party.
Twenty-two percent (22%) of government employees are aligned with the Political Class along with just four percent (4%) of private sector workers.
The biggest surprise so far is that a plurality of the Political Class believes the economy is getting better while 66% of those in the Mainstream say it’s getting worse.
The questions used to calculate the Index are:
-- Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?
-- Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?
-- Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?
To create a scale, each response earns a plus 1 for the populist answer, a minus 1 for the political class answer, and a 0 for not sure.
Those who score 2 or higher are considered a populist or part of the Mainstream. Those who score -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered leaners in one direction or the other.
In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/ideology/55_of_americans_are_populist_7_support_the_politic al_class