---
title: "Want Tighter Financial Regulation"
description: "Six-in-ten Americans think it is a good idea for the government to regulate more strictly the way major financial companies do business."
date: "2009-04-09"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2009/04/09/want-tighter-financial-regulation/"
---

# Want Tighter Financial Regulation

Six-in-ten Americans (60%) think it is a good idea for the government to regulate more strictly the way major financial companies do business, while 31% say tougher regulations are a bad idea. Most of those who support tougher regulations — 34% of the public — say this is something they strongly support; 21% say tougher regulations are a good idea but say they have reservations about the proposal. The vast majority of liberal Democrats (82%) view stricter regulations of financial companies as a good thing; 67% of liberal Democrats say they strongly support them. Among conservative and moderate Democrats, 73% regard stricter regulation as a good idea, but fewer than half (43%) say this is something they strongly support. Republicans also are divided over placing tighter regulations on financial firms. A majority of moderate and liberal Republicans (52%) favor this proposal while just 33% of conservative Republicans agree. By about two-to-one (61% to 31%), more independents view stricter regulation of financial companies as a good idea rather than a bad idea. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1184/partisanship-back-obama-economic-confidence-high-gop-image-low)