The public remains conflicted about the government’s role in the health care system. Today, 59% agree that they are concerned about the government becoming too involved in health care. In 2009, in the early stages of debate about what would become the Affordable Care Act, 46% expressed concern about growing government involvement in health care.

At the same time, an overwhelming majority (82%) continues to agree that the government needs to do more to make health care affordable and accessible.

The partisan gap, already large in 2009, has only grown larger. Today, 88% of Republicans express a concern about the government becoming too involved in health care, compared with 37% of Democrats. This 51-point gap between Republicans and Democrats is the single largest partisan divide of the 79 items included in the 2012 Values Survey. Six-in-ten independents (61%) agree that they are concerned about the government becoming too involved in health care. Read More

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