FrankRep
10-12-2010, 07:45 AM
A new survey, The Role of Government, indicates that voters are somewhat contradictory in their view of government, but their answer to one question, How big and how invasive should government be?, indicates that the Tea Party movement has influenced voters' thinking, if not their actions. by Kelly Holt
What Do Voters Really Think About Government's Role? (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4853-what-do-voters-really-think-about-governments-role)
Kelly Holt | The New American (http://www.thenewamerican.com/)
12 October 2010
At mid-term, politicians face a challenge regarding what voters really think about government. A new survey, "The Role of Government," (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8112.cfm) indicates that their thoughts are somewhat contradictory. However, with one question — "How big and how invasive should government be?" — the Tea Party movement has seemingly touched some nerves in voters' thinking, if not their actions.
Americans have a more negative view of government now than even a few years ago, according to the study by the Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, and Harvard University.This random sample phone survey of 2,054 adults, conducted September 23-October 3, found that most people think in terms of “the” government rather than “our” government. They believe the federal government focuses on the wrong things, and they have little confidence in Washington’s problem-solving abilities. Indeed, another survey recently reported that 75 percent of Americans don’t trust government (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4637-seventy-five-percent-of-public-distrusts-government).
Respondents to the Washington Post survey say the federal government's priorities are misplaced, with 55 percent of Americans believing it isn’t paying attention to the big issues. Of those who say the country is off-track (59 percent), most place the blame squarely on government. Half say the big impact on their daily lives from government is negative, and that it threatens their personal liberties.
There’s an overwhelming belief among respondents that the government can be well run, but that current problems are simply too big to be effectively handled by government.
The greatest change in the last 10 years has been the widening of the partisan gap — 61 percent of Republicans say the country is going the wrong way, blaming the government. The number of Republicans giving the government a good grade has plummeted from 28 percent to only 8 percent, with only 42 percent of Democrats now giving a thumbs up to government, down from 47 percent.
Tea Partiers who chimed in say they prefer a smaller government, consider themselves to be fiscal conservatives, and 75 percent want the government to eliminate or reduce its meddling in healthcare.
Alarmingly, however, even though most surveyed said government is too big and too expensive, they still looked to government to solve their problems and provide services. The debate seems to be about which government services should be provided, not whether the government should provide them. For example, more respondents than in previous surveys said they wanted more services even if it meant more taxes, rather than fewer services and lower taxes. While the Tea Party sentiment is prevalent, respondents did not indicate that they wanted the government to adhere to its constitutional functions.
In another question, those surveyed were asked if the Supreme Court should base its rulings on its understanding of what the Constitution meant as it was originally written, or on what it means in current times. Fifty percent answered in favor of the original meaning, with 46 percent opting for what it means in current times.
In yet another question, respondents were asked if they thought passing a balanced budget amendment or having a national referendum system for Americans to vote on major national issues would make Washington work better, worse or have no difference. Rather than questioning the constitutionality of a balanced budget amendment, 60 percent answered that it would make things work better, with only 12 percent believing it would make them worse. With reference to a national referendum, 52 percent thought it would make things better, while 13 percent believed it would make things worse.
The survey, thorough and meticulously conducted, did reveal one thing clearly: Americans are unhappy. In a final question, the one word chosen by 46 percent of those surveyed to represent their feelings about government in Washington was "disappointed."
The October 10 Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/09/AR2010100903308.html?nav=most_emailed) article reporting this survey noted the disparity between Americans’ disappointment with government and what they expect of it. Reporters Jon Cohen and Dan Baiz observed, “For Scottie Church, 39, of Winder, Ga., the answer is simple: ‘It's time to get back to basics. It's time for [the federal government] to get out of the way and let the private sector do its job.’ ”
Others laid the blame elsewhere. The Post continued, “Carol Santos, 55, of Providence, R.I., sees the government as trying to help people like her, but the benefits she receives don't go far enough. She explains, ‘When all these big companies gave their high-ranking officials pay raises, it took away from the low to moderate community. The big-name companies ... have done it to us little people. The government is trying to help, but it's fighting a losing battle.’”
Although entitled "The Role of Government," the survey reveals an unintended finding — that Americans don’t understand the role of government. The answers lie not in what the government should do for us or what programs it should initiate, but in what the Constitution clearly states about the severely-limited role of the federal government.
What America needs most urgently is an informed electorate.
SOURCE:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4853-what-do-voters-really-think-about-governments-role
What Do Voters Really Think About Government's Role? (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4853-what-do-voters-really-think-about-governments-role)
Kelly Holt | The New American (http://www.thenewamerican.com/)
12 October 2010
At mid-term, politicians face a challenge regarding what voters really think about government. A new survey, "The Role of Government," (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8112.cfm) indicates that their thoughts are somewhat contradictory. However, with one question — "How big and how invasive should government be?" — the Tea Party movement has seemingly touched some nerves in voters' thinking, if not their actions.
Americans have a more negative view of government now than even a few years ago, according to the study by the Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, and Harvard University.This random sample phone survey of 2,054 adults, conducted September 23-October 3, found that most people think in terms of “the” government rather than “our” government. They believe the federal government focuses on the wrong things, and they have little confidence in Washington’s problem-solving abilities. Indeed, another survey recently reported that 75 percent of Americans don’t trust government (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4637-seventy-five-percent-of-public-distrusts-government).
Respondents to the Washington Post survey say the federal government's priorities are misplaced, with 55 percent of Americans believing it isn’t paying attention to the big issues. Of those who say the country is off-track (59 percent), most place the blame squarely on government. Half say the big impact on their daily lives from government is negative, and that it threatens their personal liberties.
There’s an overwhelming belief among respondents that the government can be well run, but that current problems are simply too big to be effectively handled by government.
The greatest change in the last 10 years has been the widening of the partisan gap — 61 percent of Republicans say the country is going the wrong way, blaming the government. The number of Republicans giving the government a good grade has plummeted from 28 percent to only 8 percent, with only 42 percent of Democrats now giving a thumbs up to government, down from 47 percent.
Tea Partiers who chimed in say they prefer a smaller government, consider themselves to be fiscal conservatives, and 75 percent want the government to eliminate or reduce its meddling in healthcare.
Alarmingly, however, even though most surveyed said government is too big and too expensive, they still looked to government to solve their problems and provide services. The debate seems to be about which government services should be provided, not whether the government should provide them. For example, more respondents than in previous surveys said they wanted more services even if it meant more taxes, rather than fewer services and lower taxes. While the Tea Party sentiment is prevalent, respondents did not indicate that they wanted the government to adhere to its constitutional functions.
In another question, those surveyed were asked if the Supreme Court should base its rulings on its understanding of what the Constitution meant as it was originally written, or on what it means in current times. Fifty percent answered in favor of the original meaning, with 46 percent opting for what it means in current times.
In yet another question, respondents were asked if they thought passing a balanced budget amendment or having a national referendum system for Americans to vote on major national issues would make Washington work better, worse or have no difference. Rather than questioning the constitutionality of a balanced budget amendment, 60 percent answered that it would make things work better, with only 12 percent believing it would make them worse. With reference to a national referendum, 52 percent thought it would make things better, while 13 percent believed it would make things worse.
The survey, thorough and meticulously conducted, did reveal one thing clearly: Americans are unhappy. In a final question, the one word chosen by 46 percent of those surveyed to represent their feelings about government in Washington was "disappointed."
The October 10 Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/09/AR2010100903308.html?nav=most_emailed) article reporting this survey noted the disparity between Americans’ disappointment with government and what they expect of it. Reporters Jon Cohen and Dan Baiz observed, “For Scottie Church, 39, of Winder, Ga., the answer is simple: ‘It's time to get back to basics. It's time for [the federal government] to get out of the way and let the private sector do its job.’ ”
Others laid the blame elsewhere. The Post continued, “Carol Santos, 55, of Providence, R.I., sees the government as trying to help people like her, but the benefits she receives don't go far enough. She explains, ‘When all these big companies gave their high-ranking officials pay raises, it took away from the low to moderate community. The big-name companies ... have done it to us little people. The government is trying to help, but it's fighting a losing battle.’”
Although entitled "The Role of Government," the survey reveals an unintended finding — that Americans don’t understand the role of government. The answers lie not in what the government should do for us or what programs it should initiate, but in what the Constitution clearly states about the severely-limited role of the federal government.
What America needs most urgently is an informed electorate.
SOURCE:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4853-what-do-voters-really-think-about-governments-role