These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
65% of Voters Are Angry At Federal Government's Policies
Monday, August 16, 2010
With midterm elections less than three months away, nearly two-out-of-three U.S. voters (65%) remain at least somewhat angry at the current policies of the federal government, including 40% who are Very Angry.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters nationwide finds that just 30% are not angry at the government, with 13% who are Not At All Angry.
In surveys since last September, those angry at the government have ranged from 66% to 75%. Those who are Very Angry have run from 33% to 46%.
Yet while 83% of Mainstream voters are angry at the government's policies, 92% of those in the Political Class are not .
But 59% of all voters also continue to feel that neither Republican nor Democratic political leaders have a good understanding of what is needed today. This finding has not changed in nearly a year . Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree with that assessment, and another 15% are not sure.
Still, most voters believe the Democratic congressional agenda is extreme , while a plurality describe the Republican agenda as mainstream. Most voters also believe it is at least somewhat likely that Republicans will win control of both houses of Congress in the upcoming elections, and nearly half say there will a noticeable change in the lives of Americans if this happens .
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters U.S. Voters was conducted on August 13-14, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
Men are angrier than women and also tend to feel slightly more strongly that neither party's leaders have a good handle on what is needed today.
Voters over 40 are angrier than those who are younger. While 70% of white voters are angry at the government's policies, 59% of African-Americans are not.
Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Republicans and 73% of voters not affiliated with either major party are angry at the current policies of the federal government. Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats don't share that anger.
These findings are perhaps not surprising, given voter unhappiness over the national health care bill , the bailouts of the auto and financial industries and the continuing sluggishness of the economy despite last year's $787-billion economic stimulus plan. These initiatives and others like them have helped drive the federal deficit to projected record levels for years to come.
Rumors have circulated that the Obama administration is now considering a partial mortgage forgiveness plan to help those who owe more than their homes are worth. Just 28% of voters favor such a proposal .
Republicans and unaffiliated voters also believe more strongly than Democrats that leaders of neither major political party have a good understanding of what is needed today.
However, while 69% of Mainstream voters are skeptical of the leaders of both parties, 57% of the Political Class disagree with that point of view.
Most voters in the country now believe President Obama and the average Democrat in Congress are more liberal, politically speaking , than they are.Just 26% think Obama shares the same political views they have, and only 23% believe that of Democrats in Congress. But then only 26% think the average Republican in Congress has about the same views politically as they do.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republican voters continue to believe that GOP members of Congress have lost touch with the party base throughout the nation over the past several years. By contrast, 61% of Democratic voters think their representatives in Congress have done a good job of representing Democratic values over the past several years.
Republicans continue to lead Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot and are trusted more by voters on most key issues .