the public opinion paradox

8/9/2019 The Public Opinion Paradox

1/29www.americanprogress.o

The Public Opinion ParadoxAn Anatomy o Americas Love-Hate Relationship

with Its Government

Ruy Teixeira June 2010


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The Public Opinion ParadoxAn Anatomy o Americas Love-Hate Relationship

with Its Government

Ruy Teixeira June 2010

This publication is a product o CAPs Doing What Works project, which promotes government reorm to

eciently allocate scarce resources and achieve greater results or the American people. Doing What Works

specifcally has three key objectives: (1) eliminating or redesigning misguided spending programs and tax

expenditures ocused on priority areas such as health care, energy, and education; (2) improving govern-

ments ability to execute by streamlining management and strengthening operations in the areas o human

resources, inormation technology, and procurement; and (3) building a oundation or smarter decision

making by enhancing transparency, perormance measurement, and evaluation. Doing What Works publica-

tions and products can be viewed at http://www.americanprogress.org/projects/doing_what_works. This

project is undertaken in partnership with the Rockeeller Foundations Campaign or American Workers.


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Doing What Works Advisory Board

Andres Alonso

CEO, Baltimore Public School System

Yigal Arens

Proessor, USC School o Engineering

Ian Ayres

Proessor, Yale Law School

Gary D. Bass

Executive Director, OMB Watch

Larisa Benson

Washington State Director o Perormance

Audit and Review

Anna Burger

Secretary-Treasurer, SEIU

Jack Dangermond

President, ESRI

Dan C. Esty

Proessor, Yale Law School

Beverly Hall

Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools

Elaine Kamarck

Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard University

Sally Katzen

Executive Managing Director, The Podesta Group

Edward Kleinbard

Proessor, USC School o Law

John Koskinen

Non-Executive Chairman, Freddie Mac

Richard Leone

President, The Century Foundation

Ellen Miller

Executive Director, Sunlight Foundation

Claire OConnor

Former Director o Perormance Management,City o Los Angeles

Tim OReilly

Founder and CEO, OReilly Media

Ali Partovi

Senior Vice President o Business Development,

MySpace

Tony Scott

Chie Inormation Ocer, Microsot

Richard H. Thaler

Proessor, University o Chicago School

o Business

Eric Toder

Fellow, Urban Institute

Margery Austin Turner

Vice President or Research, Urban Institute

Laura D. Tyson

Proessor, University o Caliornia-Berkeley

School o Business


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1 Introduction and summary

3 The publics positive agenda for government:

Do more with more

3 The public consistently believes government has a strong responsibility

to achieve a wide range of social goals

3 The public wants more government involvement in key areas

4 The public wants more government spending to solve national problems

5 The public wants a strong, active government

7 The public gives government performance the thumbs d

7 The public lacks trust and confidence in government

7 The public believes government is inefficient and wasteful

8 The public believes the government is not accountable

8 The public believes the government is unresponsive to ordinary citizens

8 The public sees the government as more of a hindrance than a help to

getting ahead in life

10 Conclusion

12 Appendix: Key studies on public views of government

23 Endnotes

24 About the author

Contents


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1 Center for American Progress |The Public Opinion Paradox

Introduction and summary

wo leading public opinion researchers in 1967 noiced a conradicion in

Americans atiude oward governmen: Tey waned he public secor o do

more bu were resisan o expanding is auhoriy. Te U.S. public was operaion-

ally liberal and ideologically conservaive, wroe Lloyd Free and Hadley Canril

in heir book, Te Poliical Beliefs of Americans.

Tis public opinion paradox has been one o he more enduring and rusraing

eaures o he poliical landscape over he ensuing ve decades. Public misrus opoliicians and bureaucras drains suppor rom governmen programs in precisely

hose areas where he public demands more acion. Case in poin: Tis dynamic

nearly derailed recen governmen atemps o reorm healh care, wih opponens

warning o a coming Fausian web o Washingon bureaucracy.

Te publics jaundiced view o governmen will coninue o endanger progressive

iniiaives unil we nally bridge he yawning gap beween wha people wan rom

heir governmen and wha hey believe i is capable o.

Te Cener or American Progress has commissioned a naional poll ha explores

how o align he American poliical psyches conradicory impulses as par o is

Doing Wha Works projec o promoe public condence in governmen by improv-

ing governmen operaions. (Survey ndings will be released July 27 a a Doing

Wha Works conerence.) Bu we mus undersand he gap beore we can bridge i.

Tis repor synhesizes major public opinion research abou Americans atiudes

oward governmen and summarizes key ndings abou he publics posiive

agenda or governmen and is negaiveoulook on governmens abiliy o

execue ha agenda.

The positive agenda: Surveys show Americans wan more governmen

acion in key areas such as healh, povery, law enorcemen, and improving

he environmen.


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The negative outlook: Polls reveal he U.S. public lacks rus and condence in

governmen, and believes i is inecien, unresponsive o ordinary ciizens, and

oen hurs more han i helps.

Te paper aims o provide a richer undersanding o his public opinion paradox in

anicipaion o he upcoming DWW poll on how o x he problem. Te appendixincludes addiional background on he major polls and surveys he repor analyzes.


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The publics positive agenda for

government: Do more with more

Public opinion research shows Americans have a long and varied posiive agenda or

heir governmen. Te key ndings rom his research are examined in his secion.

The public consistently believes government has a strong

responsibility to achieve a wide range of social goals

Americans were asked in 2003 wheher governmen has a responsibiliy orsrong responsibiliy o accomplish social goals. Tey emphasized he govern-

men should secure he naional deense and provide a srong miliary (96 percen

responsibiliy and 84 percen srong responsibiliy). Tey also waned governmen

o be responsible or a long lis o domesic policy prioriies (see able below). 1

The public wants more government involvement in key areas

A majoriy o Americans polled in 2008 waned more governmen inervenion in:

Americans want government to deliver on domestic priorities

Social goals and the U.S publics belies about how responsible government should be or achieving those goals

Social goal Responsibility Strong responsibility

Protecting the environment 93 percent 69 percent

Preventing abuse by corporations and the powerul 92 percent 71 percent

Ensuring equal opportunity 88 percent 67 percent

Guaranteeing a quality public education 87 percent 70 percent

Guaranteeing health insurance or all 76 percent 60 percent

Preventing poverty 76 percent 49 percent

Helping people with unemployment and health care crises 75 percent 40 percent

Guaranteeing a secure retirement 74 percent 46 percent

Source: Public Interests Project, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 1,002 adults nationally, October 21-26, 2003.


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Energy (77 percen) Environmen (75 percen) Healh care (72 percen) Economy and job growh (68 percen) Educaion (67 percen)2

A majoriy in 2000 also suppored more specic iniiaives such as providing a

decen sandard o living or he elderly (73 percen), ensuring ood and drug

saey (73 percen), ensuring access o aordable healh care (73 percen), reduc-

ing povery (69 percen), ensuring clean air and waer (67 percen), and seting

minimum educaional sandards or schools (64 percen).3

The public wants more government spending to solve

national problems

Respondens o he Universiy o Chicagos General Social Survey have been

asked since 1973 wheher governmen spends oo litle, oo much, or abou he

righ amoun on a series o naional problems. We can derive a ne spending score

ha gauges public demand or addiional invesmen by subracing he percen-

age o respondens who believe we spend oo much rom he percenage who

wan more spending. Te laes survey in 2008 shows a srong desire or more

spending in he ollowing areas: 4

The public wants to see more money spent on national issuesNet spending scores on domestic problems or General Social Survey respondents, 2008

Problem area We spend too little We spend too much Net spending score

Education 74 percent 5 percent +68 percent

Health 76 percent 8 percent +68 percent

Poverty 70 percent 8 percent +62 percent

Environment 67 percent 9 percent +59 percent

Social security 62 percent 6 percent +56 percent

Crime 62 percent 7 percent +55 percent

Drug addiction 57 percent 10 percent +47 percent

Law enorcement 54 percent 9 percent +45 percent

Mass transportation 49 percent 8 percent +41 percent

Drug rehabilitation 50 percent 13 percent +37 percent

Urban problems 49 percent 13 percent +36 percent

Highway and bridges 45 percent 10 percent +36 percent

Source: Tom W. Smith, Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2008 (National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, 2009).


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The public wants a strong, active government

Te Cener or American Progress Progressive Sudies Program ideology survey in 2009

ound ha he public suppors governmen acion in a number o areas. Seveny-hree

percen o respondens agreed ha governmen regulaions are necessary o keep busi-

nesses in check and proec workers and consumers, while only 12 percen disagreed. Only9 percen disagreed ha governmen invesmens in educaion, inrasrucure, and science

are necessary o ensure Americas long-erm economic growh, compared wih 79 percen

who agreed. Given a choice beween he wo saemens, governmen should do more o

promoe he common good and governmen should do more o promoe individual lib-

ery he public seleced he common good saemen by a 60 percen o 37 percen margin.

Likewise, respondens suppored he saemen is ime or governmen o ake a larger

and sronger role in making he economy work or he average American over urning

o big governmen o solve our economic problems will do more harm han good by a

62 percen o 35 percen margin.

Te public also demonsraed an overwhelming preerence or srong governmen in

he 2008 Universiy o Michigan Naional Elecion Sudy. Respondens said we need

governmen o handle complex economic problems raher han relying solely on he ree

marke by a 69 percen o 31 percen margin.5

The public does support select government agencies and programs

Tese agencies ge high approval raings rom he public in public opinion polls:

Ceners or Disease Conrol: 90 percen Naional Insiues or Healh: 80 percen Federal Aviaion Adminisraion: 76 percen Food and Drug Adminisraion: 75 percen Federal Bureau o Invesigaions: 69 percen

And a majoriy o people say hey have beneed a grea deal or a air amoun rom:

Governmen roads and highways: 70 percen Parks and recreaion programs: 66 percen Public schools: 65 percen Food and drug saey regulaion: 58 percen Consumer saey regulaion: 58 percen 6


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Finally, he public has a very avorable or somewha avorable view o some

ederal governmen work:

Naional deense programs: 78 percen Environmenal programs: 71 percen

Medicare: 70 percen Social Securiy: 69 percen Federal educaion programs: 66 percen7


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The public gives government

performance the thumbs down

By and large, public suppor or some governmen agencies and appeie or more

governmen inervenion in key areas is no mached by a posiive appreciaion o

he governmens perormance. Some key ndings rom he research on his opic

are lised in his secion.

The public lacks trust and confidence in government

Only 31 percen o he public said Washingon can be rused o do whas righ

always or mos o he ime in he 2008 Naional Elecion Sudy, or NES, com-

pared wih he 69 percen o respondens who said he governmen can be rused

only some or none o he ime.8 In anoher ABC/Washingon Pospoll only 8 per-

cen o respondens said hey had a lo o condence ha he ederal governmen

can solve problems when i is resolved o do so. Tas compared wih 38 percen

who had some condence, 33 percen who expressed a litle condence, and

21 percen wih no condence.9

Only 16 percen o respondens o an NBC/Wall Sree Journal poll said hey had

a grea deal or quie a lo o condence in he ederal governmen generally, while

41 percen had some and 42 percen very litle condence or none.10 Abou hree-

quarers o he public said he ederal governmen does only a air or poor job

running is programs in a 2010 Pew survey. 11

The public believes government is inefficient and wasteful

Sixy-one percen o he public agreed ha governmen spending is almosalways waseul and inecien in a ypical recen nding rom CAP.12 A 2009

Gallup poll ound Americans esimae he ederal governmen wases hal o all ax

dollars.13 And 73 percen o respondens agreed ha governmen workers wase a

lo o money we pay in axes in he 2008 Naional Elecion Sudy.14


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Tese eelings undergird a srong American anipahy o axes. Almos wo-

hirds o respondens in a 2003 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll agreed ha I

don like paying axes because he governmen is oo waseul and inecien,15

and 83 percen o survey respondens in a 2007 Greenberg poll said he ederal

governmen is more likely o wase any increase in he governmen coer han

spend i well.16

The public believes the government is not accountable

Tree-quarers o he public said a lack o governmen accounabiliy or spend-

ing was a very serious or serious problem in he 2007 Greenberg poll. And by

a 58 percen o 36 percen margin in ha same poll, he public preerred ha

Congress prioriize cuting waseul spending and making governmen more

accounable over invesmens in public prioriies such as healh care, educaion,

and energy.17

The public believes the government is unresponsive to

ordinary citizens

Abou 70 percen o he public believes governmen is run by a ew big ineress

and no or he bene o all ciizens, according o he 2008 NES. Whas more,

60 percen o hose respondens agreed wih he senimen, Public ocials don

care much wha people like me hink.18 wo years earlier, 64 percen o hose

surveyed by he Naional Opinion Research Cener endorsed he idea ha mos

public ocials are no really ineresed in he problems o he average man.19 And

in 2003, 55 percen o hose surveyed by Pew said dealing wih a ederal govern-

men agency is oen no worh he rouble.20

The public sees the government as more of a hindrance than a

help to getting ahead in life

Respondens in he 2007 Greenberg poll hough governmen makes i harderraher han easier o ge ahead in lie by a 2-o-1 margin.21 And a pluraliy in a

2009 Pew poll said governmen does more o hur han help people rying o

move up he economic ladder.


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Bu a elling demonsraion o he paradox o American public opinion on govern-

men is ound in he very same Pew poll. Despie he respondens negaive view

o governmen cied above, he poll showed srong majoriies endorsing a wide

range o proposed governmen acions as very eecive in promoing eco-

nomic mobiliy: making college more aordable, reducing he cos o healh care,

expanding job raining programs, and making i easier o save or reiremen.22


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Conclusion

Americans display a love-hae relaionship wih heir governmen, and heir

conradicory views are, o course, inerrelaed and muually reinorcing. A

Pew Cener sudy o he publics views on governmen ound ha he sronges

predicor o a persons misrus o governmen was a poor raing o governmens

perormance.23 Anoher Kaiser/NPR/Harvard sudy on he same subjec ound

73 percen ciing he ineciency and waseulness o he ederal governmen as a

major reason or heir disrus o governmen.24

Tese atiudes cause he public o resis spending increases or he very programs

hey avor. Tis creaes an under-resourced public secor, which makes i less

likely governmen can succeed in achieving is objecives, which in urn only

reinorces he lack o condence and rus in governmen. Is a vicious cycle wih

a vengeance.

Te orhcoming CAP Doing Wha Works survey will poin o ways we can break

his cycleand he sakes are high. On he one hand, a subsanial srenghening

o public rus and condence in governmen could resul i he publics percep-

ions o governmen perormance improve a a ime o large-scale Obama admin-

israion iniiaives in such areas as healh care and energy.

On he oher hand, a signican opporuniy or rehabiliaing acive governmen

over he long erm will likely be los i he cycle is no broken. Te publics ear o

governmen spending and sensiiviy o governmen deb may moderae as he

counrys economic siuaion improves and unemploymen comes down. Bu a

undamenal lack o condence in governmen will persis and undercu suppor

or an acive and well-resourced public secor i he Obama adminisraions iniia-

ives in paricular and he governmen in general are viewed as uncioning nobeter han in he pas aer he sorm passes.

Furher, demographic shis in he counry underscore how vial he curren

opporuniy o build governmen suppor is. By and large, growing groups like


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Hispanics, proessionals, and single women hold he mos posiive views o gov-

ernmen and is poenial. And he burgeoning segmen o whie college graduaes,

hough no as posiive as hese groups, is neverheless signicanly more suppor-

ive o governmen han he declining whie working class.

Perhaps mos imporan, we mus pay special atenion o he so-called Millennialgeneraion, hose born aer 1978. Millennials are much more likely han older

generaions o have a posiive atiude oward governmens poenial o solve

problems. Bu heir cynicism abou governmen eeciveness is also sriking:25

Millennials are less rusing o he ederal governmen han oher young aduls

have been on average during he las 50 years. And heyre ar less rusing han

young aduls in he 1950s and 1960s.

Millennials especially disrus eleced ocials. Fiy-our percen o Millennials

believed ha quie a ew, raher han no many, governmen ocials werecrooked in he 2008 Naional Elecion Sudy.

Sixy-hree percen o Millennials describe hemselves as less likely han previ-

ous generaions o rus governmen and poliical leaders.

A whopping 93 percen o Millennials agree ha governmen is dominaed by

special ineress and lobbyiss, who give millions o dollars in campaign conri-

buions o poliicians, who in urn give even more back o hose special ineress,

while he res o us are le holding he bag.

Tese ndings make i all he more criical o srenghen condence in govern-

men. A generaion ha migh have suppored more acive governmen may

insead mimic heir parens cynicism i he above views are reinorced by iniia-

ives deemed waseul and inecien.


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Appendix: Key studies on public

views of government

The People and Their Government: Distrust, Discontent, Anger and

Partisan Rancor

Pew Research Center, April 2010

Tis sudy is based on a March 2010 survey o 2,505 aduls, probing heir atiudes

oward governmen and comparing hese responses o earlier surveys done in he

lae 1990s by Pew. According o he sudy:

While a majoriy also disrused he ederal governmen in hose [earlier] sur-

veys, criicism o governmen had declined rom earlier in he decade. And he

publics desire or governmen services and acivism was holding seady. Tis

is no he case oday. Jus 22 percen say hey can rus he ederal governmen

almos always or mos o he ime, which is among he lowes measures in hal a

cenury. Abou he same percenage (19 percen) say hey are basically conen

wih he ederal governmen, which is largely unchanged rom 2006 and 2007

bu lower han a decade ago.

Opinions abou eleced ocials are paricularly poor. In a ollow-up survey

in early April 2010 jus 25 percen expressed a avorable opinion o Congress,

which was virually unchanged rom Marchs 26 percen prior o he healh care

reorm bills passage. Tis is he lowes avorable raing or Congress in a quarer

cenury o Pew Research Cener surveys. Over he las year, avorable opinions

o Congress have declined by hal, rom 50 percen o 25 percen.

Federal agencies and insiuions also are viewed much more posiively

han Congress. Noneheless, avorable raings have allen signicanly since

1997-1998 or 7 o 13 ederal agencies included in he survey. Te declineshave been paricularly large or he Deparmen o Educaion, he Food and

Drug Adminisraion, and he Social Securiy Adminisraion, as well as he

Environmenal Proecion Agency, NASA, and he Ceners or Disease Conrol.

In erms o job perormance, majoriies give posiive raings o jus 6 o he


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15 agencies or insiuions esed, including he miliary (80 percen gave i a

good-excellen raing) and he Posal Service (70 percen).

Te survey also nds an increase in he percenage saying he ederal govern-

men negaively aecs heir day-o-day lives. Fiy percen said he ederal

governmen had a posiive eec on heir daily lives in Ocober 1997 com-pared wih 31 percen who said is impac was negaive. Currenly, 38 percen

see he ederal governmens personal impac as posiive while slighly more

(43 percen) see i as negaive.

Americans eelings abou he ederal governmen, however, run more oward

rusraion raher han anger despie he recen atenion paid o demonsraions

and oher expressions o anigovernmen senimen. Fiy-six percen in he

curren survey say hey are rusraed wih he ederal governmen, 21 percen

say hey are angry, and 19 percen say hey are basically conen. Majoriies have

expressed rusraion wih he ederal governmen since Ocober 1997, wiha single noable excepion: Jus 34 percen said hey were rusraed wih he

ederal governmen wo monhs aer he 9/11 atacks, in November 2001.

Finally, a majoriy o he public (56 percen) says ha i hey had a child jus ge-

ing ou o school hey would like o see him or her pursue a career in governmen

despie he rusraion mos Americans eel wih governmen. And 70 percen say

he governmen is a good place o work, which is unchanged rom Ocober 1997.

The State of American Political Ideology, 2009

The Political Ideology of the Millennial Generation

New Progressive America

New Progressive America: The Millennial Generation

Progressive Studies Program, Center for Amer ican Progress, March-May 2009

Tese sudies include subsanial secions on Americans views o governmen

based on an original poll plus exensive reviews o public daa. Te mos relevan

ndings rom hese sudies include:

Te greaes consensus on governmens role is ound on he imporance o

governmen invesmen o he naions long-erm economic healh. Americans

agree by almos a 9-o-1 margin ha governmen invesmens in educaion,

inrasrucure, and science are necessary o ensure Americas long-erm eco-

nomic growh (79 percen agree, 12 percen neural, 9 percen disagree).


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Te public also shows broad agreemen on governmens responsibiliy o

provide nancial suppor or he needies in our sociey. More han wo in hree

Americans agree ha governmen has a responsibiliy o provide nancial sup-

por or he poor, he sick, and he elderly (69 percen), while 15 percen are

neural and anoher 15 percen disagree.

Te sronges conservaive posiion and he mos eecive criique agains a more

acive role or governmen is he atack on he waseulness o governmen spend-

ing. Overall, 61 percen agree ha governmen spending is almos always waseul

and inecien, while anoher 16 percen are neural and 23 percen disagree.

Growing groups hold he mos posiive views o governmen. In he 2008

elecion exi poll, Millennial (18- o 29-year-old) voers el by 69 percen o

27 percen (compared o 51 percen o 43 percen overall among all voers) ha

governmen should be doing more o solve problems raher han governmen is

doing oo many hings bes le o businesses and individuals. Similarly, on heProgressive Sudies Program surveys progressive governmen index, Millennials

scored 56.3, compared o 54 or he public as a whole. Hispanics scored even

higher a 59.9. Proessionals and single women also had high scores, 57.2 and

56.2, respecively. Whie college graduaes scored slighly lower han he overall

average (53.4) bu sill signicanly higher han he declining whie working

class (51.5), chiefy because whie college graduaes are much less persuaded by

conservaive counerargumens on governmen.

Millennials wan governmen o play a srong and posiive role in odays

economy, bu a disjuncure exiss beween Millennials views on how govern-

men should work and heir views on curren governmen insiuions and

mos eleced ocials. Millennials rus he ederal governmen less han oher

young aduls have on average during he 50 years his quesion has been asked

(46 percen), and hey are ar less rusing han young aduls in he 1950s and

1960s when more han 70 percen o young people hough hey could rus he

ederal governmen o do wha is righ mos or all o he ime.

Findings from a National Survey and Focus Groups on Economic MobilityEconomic Mobility Project, Pew Charitable Trusts, March 12, 2009

Tis sudy looks a American atiudes oward economic mobiliy, including he

governmens role in aciliaing mobiliy. Te key ndings on governmens role are:


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ranked las by a considerable margin by 1992, as i does oday. By conras, he

percenage o Americans expressing eiher a grea deal or air amoun o rus

and condence in heir sae and local governmens acually rose subsanially

beween 1972 and 2007. Te ederal governmens avorabiliy raing in he cur-

ren decade has slumped o only 37 percen versus 54 percen on he eve o he

2000 elecion, while sae and local governmens hold seady in public eseem.

Obama should use his [2010] budge o demonsrae ha he is serious abou

cuting appropriaions or inecien programs and erminaing hose ha have

oulived heir useulness. He should rame budge and programs in he clear

language o perormance goals, including concree sandards governing how

ciizens can expec o be reaed when hey deal wih he public secor.

Te ederal Governmen Perormance and Resuls Ac will be 16 years old when

he nex presiden akes oce. Te ac has generaed a wealh o daa on how

dieren pars o he governmen acually perorm. Bu i is largely ignored bypoliicians or used o disparage only hose programs o which hey are ideologi-

cally opposed. Perormance sandards should be used as inendedas a means

o managing he governmen and communicaing wih he public.

Attitudes Toward the Federal Government

Karlyn Bowman, American Enterprise Institute, June 2008

Tis sudy is essenially a compendium o ime-series daa on public views oward

he ederal governmen. Full quesion wording and resuls are provided or almos

all relevan quesions. Te sudy noes:

Conemporary polls show ha Americans believe he ederal governmen can

have a posiive impac on peoples lives. Bu only small proporions believe he

governmen isplaying ha role oday. Perhaps more damaging, signican num-

bers believe he governmen creaes more problems han i solves. Large majori-

ies do no rus he governmen o do wha is righ. People believe Washingon is

oo big, inecien, and waseul. Tey do no have a high regard or poliicians.

Americans oday sill wan he ederal governmen o do many hings. Bu hey

are criical o governmen perormance. Tere is no evidence o a legiimacy cri-

sis. Americans hink heir governmen is he bes in he world despie is auls.


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Getting the Public to Listen

Democracy Corps, February 27, 2007

Tis sudy is based on a naional survey done in he aermah o he 2006

elecion o examine public dissaisacion wih governmen and wheher

Democraic conrol o Congress was miigaing ha dissaisacion. Assummarized in he sudy:

Te core o he problem is a undamenal belie ha governmen and he

poliicians who lead i reuse o be held accounable or he way hey conduc

businesshow hey spend money, whom hey lisen o when seting heir pri-

oriies, and how hey conduc hemselves. Te severiy o his problem canno

be oversaed, and he publics belie ha governmen and is leaders are simply

no accounable and do no ake responsibiliy colors he publics willingness o

suppor governmen eors on issues. When iniiaives and proposals are inro-

duced in ocus groups, even he mos popular ones are greeed wih laugherand he ineviable quesion, bu will hey acually do i?

Americans now view governmen as more o a barrier han a helping hand, and

is ailure o be accounable in a way ha produces resuls is cenral o hese

doubs. Voers perceive governmen as slow, cumbersome, and unable o move

a a as pace and keep up wih he res o he world. Accounabiliy sis a he

core o he problem, and is comprised o hree key dimensions on he survey.

Firs, he public has virually no condence in Washingon o spend money in a

way ha ges resuls. Perhaps he mos sunning nding in he survey is ha jus

13 percen believe he ederal governmen would spend addiional money well

while 83 percen say i would be wased.

Te second dimensionand a very imporan oneis he noion ha he

people who run governmen operae by a dieren se o rules, and hey do no

ake responsibiliy or heir acions or or wha hey say. Simply pu, people

are sick and ired o poliicians who no only operae by a dieren se o rules

bu also reuse o alk sraigh, ake responsibiliy, and admi a misake when

somehing goes wrong.

Tird, people believe ha Washingon lisens o he wealhy and powerul and

no o hem in deermining he prioriies and ocus o governmen.


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Te elecorae wans governmen o play a major role on a range o issues,

bu i lacks condence ha governmen will do wha is needed o ge resuls.

Governmen receives a posiive job approval raing o over 50 percen on only

1 issue o 10 esed (naional securiy), and is raings or nearly every issue

range beween he high 20s and high 30s.

By, or for, the People?: A Meta-Analysis of Public Opinion on the Government

Meg Bostrom, Demos, January 2005

Tis sudy reviews a wide range o daa on public views o governmen. I uses an

approach called Sraegic Frame Analysis, which seeks o illuminae he sories

or rames he public uses o hink abou an insiuion like governmen. Te daa

reviewed are, however, quie useul wih or wihou he raming approach.

Te sudy covers boh views on ciizens role in governance (by he people) andon wha governmen acually does or ciizens (or he people). Te sudy nds:

Te public saes ha governmen serves he special ineress and pursues is

own agenda when asked wheher or no governmen serves he public iner-

es. Te public rmly believes ha governmen would be beter i i more ruly

represened he majoriys desires.

When people hink o governmen as a service provider hey are likely o reac

as consumers would and consider wheher or no hey bene rom governmen

programs and services and wheher he programs are worh he money hey pay

in axes. Frequenly hey respond negaively and deermine ha governmen

is waseul and inecien. Tey hope, however, ha governmen can use is

services o solve problems.

Governmen airs poorly as a service provider when people are considering gov-

ernmen programs overall, and people rae governmen services poorly wihou

specic examples o remind hem o heir ineracions wih governmen. People

are more likely o repor ha governmen programs have no really helped me

and my amily (52 percen) raher han say hey have helped (41 percen). Buwhen heyre reminded o he governmens wide range o services and programs

signican majoriies repor ha hey have beneed personally rom governmen

programs and services. And reminding people o specic governmen programs

and services appears o improve raings o governmens eec on peoples lives.


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Taxes, Government and the Obligations of Citizenship

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, November 12, 2003

Tis sudy is based on a naional survey ha was conduced o invesigae he

possibiliy o moving ax debaes away rom a ocus on ax cus. Among he

sudys ndings:

People believe governmen has a srong role in ensuring all people have equal

opporuniy o acquire he skills hey need o succeed in lie. And people see

heir axes as he conribuion every ciizen makes o ensure ha we have basic

services such as public educaion, naional deense, and a clean environmen.

Americans do no dislike governmen because hey hink i gives handous o

he undeserving. Raher hey are skepical ha governmen spends ax dollars

well, and hey believe i wases money or works in a way ha is mired in ine-

ciencies. Tis belie does no negae he ac ha people expressed suppor orgovernmen, bu we canno advance a posiive vision o governmen wihou

sensiiviy oward governmen eliism and indierence o axpayer money.

Americans Distrust Government, but Want It to Do More

NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Kennedy School, June 2000

Tis sudy is based on a large sample survey devoed solely o examining Americans

atiudes oward governmen. According o he sudy summary o key ndings:

Americans like wha governmen does bu hae he way hey hink i does i. Inmany ways, Americans love-hae relaionship wih governmen is he dierence

beween he specic, which hey love, and he general, which hey hae. For

insance, 60 percen o Americans say governmen has gone oo ar in regulaing

business and inerering wih he ree enerprise sysem. Bu when asked abou

specic areas ha he governmen now regulaes or could regulaerom auo-

mobile saey o healh care o elevision conenAmericans are much more

likely o say here is no enough regulaion han hey are o say here is oo much.

Indeed, mos Americans have posiive views abou many ederal governmen

programs, rom educaion programs (66 percen) o drug enorcemen (59 per-

cen) o ood samps (53 percen). In many areas hey wan more governmen

involvemenor example, o reduce povery (69 percen), o ensure clean


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air and waer (67 percen), and o se minimum educaion sandards (64 per-

cen)and very ew Americans wan less or no governmen involvemen in

he areas surveyed. Bu Americans have exremely negaive views when asked

general quesions abou governmen. Only 29 percen rus he ederal govern-

men o do wha is righ almos always or mos o he ime. And a majoriy o

Americans (55 percen) considers governmen corrupion a very imporanproblem. Anoher 34 percen hink corrupion is a somewha imporan prob-

lem, and only 9 percen hink i is no very imporan or no imporan a all.

Americans oer a wide range o reasons or why hey don rus he ederal

governmen.A majoriy poins o governmen wase and ineciency (73 per-cen), parisan bickering (68 percen), special ineress having oo much

infuence (65 percen), a lack o honesy and inegriy among eleced ocials

(64 percen), and high axes (57 percen). Given a lis o 11 possible reasons or

disrus, ewer han 20 percen said any one o hem was no a reason.

Americans say ha he ederal governmen has more impac on heir daily lives

han heir sae or local governmens, which is conrary o common wisdom.Indeed, more Americans (41 percen) say ha he ederal governmen has a lo

o impac on heir daily lives han eiher heir sae (30 percen) or local (30 per-

cen) governmens. Tis impac may no be posiive or everyone, eiher, as

hree in ve people (61 percen) who say ha he ederal governmen has a lo

o impac also say i is a hrea o heir personal liberies. Bu Americans eel he

ederal governmen has more impac even hough hey also believe heir voice is

more likely o be heard by sae or local ocials and even hough hey rus heir

sae and local governmens more.

Deconstructing Distrust: How Americans View Government

Pew Research Center, March 10, 1998

Tis sudy is based on a series o original surveys and ocus groups ha were inen-

sively analyzed o examine why Americans disrus governmen. Among he mos

imporan ndings:

Americans are drawing sharper disincions beween ederal, sae, and local

governmens han hey once did. More people rus heir sae and local govern-

mens han he ederal governmen. Bu i was no always ha way. weny-ve

years ago people were more conden in he ederal governmen han in hose


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closer o home. Since hen condence in Washingon has eroded while aih in

sae and local governmen has acually grown.

Americans give he governmen dismal perormance raings. An overwhelming

majoriy o he public says ha he governmen does a air or poor job manag-

ing is programs and providing services (74 percen). Almos as many agree hawhen a program is run by governmen i is usually inecien and waseul (64

percen). Tese low marks do no come up signicanly when people are asked

abou ederal handling o specic asks. For insance, 52 percen o Americans

say he governmen is doing only a air job providing or he elderly. weny

percen describe he eor as poor.

Americans express mixed views on why he ederal governmens perormance is

so lackluser. When asked wha he governmens bigges problem isis priori-

ies or ineciency61 percen choose ineciency. Bu when people look more

closely a specic issues governmen akes on, many acknowledge he complex-iy o he issues. Among hose who give he governmen low marks on healh

care, or example, 48 percen blame he complexiy o he issue compared o 45

percen who blame he governmen.

Whaever he reason, he governmens perceived perormance ailures signi-

canly undermine rus. Fully 70 percen o hose who give he governmen a air

or poor raing say hey basically disrus governmen. Te inverse is also rue:

Seveny-six percen o hose who are saised wih governmen perormance

basically rus he governmen.

One reason perormance acors so prominenly in rus is ha Americans have

high expecaions or he role governmen should play in public lie. Fully 72

percen o Americans believe he governmen should see o i ha no one is

wihou ood, clohing, or sheler in his counryas many as el ha way in

he 1960s. Many Americans also say i is he ederal governmens responsibiliy

o manage he economy (68 percen), conserve naural resources (52 percen),

and provide or he elderly (46 percen).


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Endnotes

1 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Public Interests Project, conducted byOctober 21-26, 2003.

2 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007..

3 NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Kennedy School, At-titudes toward Government, conducted by ICR/I nternational Com-munications Research, May 26, 2000-June 25, 2000.

4 Tom W. Smith, Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2008(University of Chicago: National Opinion Research Center, 2009).

5 Authors analysis of 2008 National Election Study.

6 Meg Bostrom, By, or for, the People?: A Meta-Analysis of Public Opin-ion on the Government (Washington: Demos, 2005), pp. 33, 35, andPew Research Center, The People and Their Government: Distrust, Dis-content, Anger and Partisan Rancor, conducted April 18, 2010. Wherethere is more than one rating available, the highest rating is used.

7 NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Kennedy School, At-titudes toward Government, conducted by ICR/ International Com-munications Research, May 26, 2000-June 25, 2000.

8 Authors analysis of 2008 NES data. Since the 2008 election,responses to this trust question have been even less positive. Aspring 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center, The People and

Their Government: Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor,found just 22 percent saying the government in Washington can betrusted to do whats right all or most of the time.

9 Karlyn Bowman, Attitudes Toward the Federal Government (Wash-ington: American Enterprise Institute, 2008) p. 10, latest poll cited

for question.

10 Ibid. p. 18.

11 Pew Research Center, The People and Their Government: Distrust,Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor, conducted April 18, 2010.

12 John Halpin and Karl Agne, The State of American Political Ideology,2009 (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2009).

13 Gallup poll, 2009

14 Authors analysis of 2008 NES data.

15 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Public Interests Project, conductedOctober 21-26, 2003.

16 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007.

17 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007.

18 Authors analysis of 2008 NES data.

19 Bowman, Attitudes Toward the Federal Government, p. 29-30, latestpoll cited for question.

20 Pew Research Center, 2,528 adults nationally, July 14, 2003-August 5, 2003.

21 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007..

22 Pew Economic Mobility Project, survey of 2100 adults, January27-February 8, 2009.

23 Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, DeconstructingDistrust, conducted September 25, 1997-October 31, 1997.

24 NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Kennedy School, At-

titudes toward Government, conducted by ICR/ International Com-munications Research, May 26, 2000-June 25, 2000.

25 David Madland and Ruy Teixeira, New Progressive America: The Mil-lennial Generation (Washington: Canter for American Progress, 2009).


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The Center or American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute

dedicated to promoting a strong, just and ree America that ensures opportunity

or all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to

these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies relect these values.

We work to ind progressive and pragmatic solutions to signiicant domestic and

international problems and develop policy proposals that oster a government that

is o the people, by the people, and or the people.

the public opinion paradox

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