---
title: "Deficit: More Concern, Less Optimism"
description: "The public increasingly views the federal budget deficit as a major problem the country must address now. But fewer predict the country will achieve significant progress in reducing the deficit in five years than did so in December. A new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington […]"
date: "2011-04-26"
authors:
  - name: "Alec Tyson"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2011/04/26/deficit-more-concern-less-optimism/"
categories:
  - "Economic Conditions"
  - "Economic Policy"
  - "Government Spending & the Deficit"
  - "Government Spending & the Deficit"
datasets:
  - name: "April 21-25 2011 Weekly Survey"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/april-21-25-2011-weekly-survey/"
---

# Deficit: More Concern, Less Optimism

![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2011/04/WaPo-4-26a.gif)

The public increasingly views the federal budget deficit as a major problem the country must address now. But fewer predict the country will achieve significant progress in reducing the deficit in five years than did so in December.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and [The Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/behind-the-numbers/post/more-deficit-concern-less-hope-about-solving-problem-washingtion-post-pew-center-poll-finds/2011/04/26/AFneWgsE_blog.html), conducted April 21-25 among 1,001 adults, finds that 31% say we will have achieved significant progress on the deficit in the next five years or so, down from 37% in December. Fully 81% see the deficit as a major problem that must be addressed now – rather than one that can be addressed when the economy improves – up from 70% late last year.

![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2011/04/4-26-1.png)