While most polls this week focused on the federal government’s handling of the Gulf oil spill, the nation’s economic and fiscal situation remains a top concern for the majority of Americans.
The Associated Press/GfK asked Americans how important the budget deficit was to them. 77% said it is either “extremely” or “very” important; 15% said “moderately” important; and only 7% said “slightly” or “not at all” important. These numbers are virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Rasmussen asked likely voters how they thought certain policies affect the economy. 55% said tax cuts help the economy — only 22% believed tax increases do. 49% said spending cuts help the economy while only 24% believe spending increases help.
And, finally, the ABC/Washington Post poll asked adults about the 2009 stimulus. 9% of adults said they think the stimulus helped the economy a great deal; 21% think it helped somewhat; 7% think it hurt somewhat and 13% think it hurt a great deal. Those numbers are nearly identical to polling last year. 49% think it made no difference, down from 52% last year.
