---
title: "Public Has More Confidence in Obama than GOP Congressional Leaders on Deficit"
description: "Despite a drop in his approval rating, Americans – by a 14-point margin – have more confidence in President Obama than GOP leaders to deal with the deficit. "
date: "2013-04-08"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Drake"
    job_title: "Former Senior Editor"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-drake/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/04/08/public-has-more-confidence-in-obama-than-gop-congressional-leaders-on-deficit/"
---

# Public Has More Confidence in Obama than GOP Congressional Leaders on Deficit

President Obama is expected to send his [proposed federal budget](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-05/obama-budget-to-include-earlier-debt-reduction-offer.html) this week to Congress, where much of the focus will be on strategies for dealing with the deficit.

While this next phase of the budget battles comes at a time when Obama's [overall job approval rating has fallen](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/03/21/obama-job-approval-slips-as-economic-pessimism-rises/), our March survey found that Obama continues to engender more confidence on the federal budget deficit than either GOP leaders in Congress or Democratic congressional leaders.

[![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/03/3-21-13-7.png)](www.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2013/03/21/section-1-obama-job-approval-confidence-on-budget-deficit/#obama-deficit)

A majority (53%) says they have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in Obama when it comes to dealing with the federal budget deficit. By contrast, 39% have at least a “fair amount” of confidence in congressional Republican leaders on the deficit and just 8% have a great deal of confidence -- a 14 percentage point difference. Democratic congressional leaders fare only slightly better: 45% have at least a fair amount of confidence in Democratic leaders; 11% have a great deal of confidence.

These views have changed little since September 2011, shortly after the contentious negotiations over raising the nation’s debt ceiling. At that time, 52% had a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in Obama on the deficit, 35% expressed that degree of confidence in GOP leaders and 43% had confidence in Democratic leaders.

Democrats express more confidence in Obama and Democratic leaders to deal with the budget deficit than Republicans express in GOP leaders. Fully 86% of Democrats have at least a fair amount of confidence in Obama, while 77% have that level of confidence in Democratic leaders. By contrast, 63% of Republicans have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in GOP leaders to deal with the deficit.

Independents are divided when it comes to confidence in Obama’s handling of the deficit: 46% say they have at least a fair amount of confidence, while 52% have little or no confidence. About four-in-ten independents (42%) say they have at least a fair amount of confidence in GOP congressional leaders while 55% have little or no confidence. [Read more](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/03/21/section-1-obama-job-approval-confidence-on-budget-deficit/#obama-deficit)