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."
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Adults think the federal government has too much power and money. (To see survey question wording, click here .)
Perhaps that's no surprise since 66% believe America is overtaxed .
Only 14% say the government has too little power and money, and 19% more feel they have about the right amount. These findings show little change from early April 2009 .
An overwhelming 70% of Adults say the government does not spend taxpayer's money wisely and fairly. Just 16% believe the government does spend this money correctly, while another 14% are not sure.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 11-12, 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 .
Eighty-five percent (85%) of Republicans and 60% of adults who are not affiliated with either of the major political parties believe the government has too much power and money, a view shared by just 39% of Democrats.
Just 47% of government workers say the government has too much power and money, compared to 65% of those who work in the private sector.
Republicans and unaffiliateds also feel more strongly than Democrats that the government does not spend taxpayers' money wisely and well.
When President Obama declared in February 2009 that he was putting Vice President Joe Biden in charge of overseeing how the public's money is spent, 46% of Americans were at least somewhat confident that their money would be wisely and carefully spent. Fifty percent (50%) did not share that confidence.
But 87% of all Americans agree that elections are at least somewhat important to the overall health of the economy, including 62% who say they are Very Important. Only eight percent (8%) feel elections are not important to the economy.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of voters prefer a smaller government with fewer services and lower taxes to a more active one that offers more services and higher taxes.
When it comes to the economy, the message from Americans is clear: Leave it in the hands of the private sector and not the government.
A plurality of Americans believe that government programs increase poverty in America.
Just 25% of voters believe the current policies of the federal government have put the U.S. economy on the right course .