Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Government Spending & the Deficit


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    Obama’s Approval Rating Slips Amid Division Over Economic Proposals

    Overview President Barack Obama’s approval rating has slipped, as a growing number of Americans see him listening more to his party’s liberals than to its moderates and many voice opposition to some of his key economic proposals. Obama’s job approval rating has slipped from 64% in February to 59% currently, while disapproval has jumped from […]

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    Support for Stimulus Plan Slips, But Obama Rides High

    Overview After weeks of intense debate over President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, a narrow majority of Americans (51%) who have heard about the $800 billion plan say it is a good idea, while 34% say it is a bad idea. In January, the balance of opinion regarding the plan was more positive: 57% of those […]

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    Katrina Relief Effort Raises Concern Over Excessive Spending, Waste

    Summary of Findings The public overwhelmingly supports the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding aid already approved by Congress. Going forward, however, as many Americans worry that the government will spend too much on hurricane relief as say it will spend too little. And while Katrina’s potential impact on the budget has become a major issue in Washington, […]

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    Katrina Has Only Modest Impact on Basic Public Values

    As the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort unfolds along the Gulf Coast, there has been considerable speculation about the disaster’s possible impact on fundamental public attitudes on such questions as the role of government, the plight of the poor and the extent of racial progress in the U.S. On the left, some have expressed the hope […]

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    The Vanishing Surplus, Barely Noticed

    Judging from recent political discourse, “Who lost the budget surplus?” threatens to become the “Who lost China?” question of our times — the focus of finger-pointing for years to come. But there is a problem with that parallel: The American public knew about the loss of China — not so with the surplus. As recently […]

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    The People, the Press & Politics: Public Opinion About Economic Issues

    Report Summary Public perceptions and priorities are changing as the new administration begins its effort to deal with the nation’s economic problems. This new Times Mirror survey identifies five important elements of public opinion that have significant implications for economic policy alternatives. These trends and dispositions emerge from an analysis of the findings of 2000 […]