Just under half (48%) of the public say spending billions of dollars to help keep financial institutions secure is the right thing to do, compared with 40% who say it is the wrong thing to do. But an overwhelming majority (87%) says they are bothered by bailing out banks and financial institutions that made poor financial decisions while a 48% plurality says the bailout makes them angry. As on other economic recovery policies, the partisan divide is widening; about two-thirds of Democrats (66%) say this is the right thing to do, while only 27% of Republicans say the same. Almost half (46%) of independents say it is the right thing to do. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.