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Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s Fiscal Confidence Index Remains Negative; 84% of Voters Want Policymakers to ‘Spend More Time’ Addressing National Debt
The November 2013 Fiscal Confidence Index, Modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index, is 44 (100 is Neutral)
NEW YORK — As the budget conference committee works towards a December 13th deadline, voters maintain a negative outlook on the country’s fiscal picture and call on policymakers to "spend more time" addressing the national debt. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s November Fiscal Confidence Index, modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index, is 44 (100 is neutral), indicating strongly negative public sentiment about America’s fiscal future.
Spanning political perspectives, voters overwhelmingly agree that the President and Congress should spend more time addressing the national debt (84% more time/9% less time), including strong majorities of Democrats (73% more time/16% less time), Independents (87% more time/8% less time), and Republicans (93% more time/3% less time) alike.
Michael A. Peterson, President and COO of the Peterson Foundation, said, "Voters are right to be concerned about our nation’s fiscal future, and they're calling on policymakers to take constructive steps in the right direction. Last month's agreement to avoid default and end the shutdown was just a short-term fix, and Americans want the budget conference committee to seize this opportunity to break the cycle of governing by crisis and put our country on a sustainable fiscal path."
The November Fiscal Confidence Index of 44 represents a slight increase from October’s level, which hit an all-time low of 38 following the government shutdown and debt ceiling standoff. November marks the twelfth consecutive month of strongly negative public attitudes measured by the Fiscal Confidence Index, which launched in December, 2012.
The Fiscal Confidence Index measures public opinion about the national debt by asking six questions in three key areas:
The survey results from these three areas are weighted equally and averaged to produce the Fiscal Confidence Index value. The Fiscal Confidence Index, like the Consumer Confidence Index, is indexed on a scale of 0 to 200, with a neutral midpoint of 100. A reading above 100 indicates positive sentiment. A reading below 100 indicates negative sentiment.
Fiscal Confidence Index Key Data Points:
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation commissioned the poll by the Global Strategy Group to survey public opinion on the national debt. The nationwide poll included 1,002 U.S. registered voters, surveyed by telephone between November 20 and November 24, 2013. The poll has a margin of error of +/-3.1%. The poll examined voters' opinions on the national debt, political leadership, and America’s fiscal and economic health.
Detailed poll results can be found online at: www.pgpf.org/what-we-are-doing/education-and-awareness/fiscal-confidence-index
About the Peter G. Peterson Foundation
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established by Pete Peterson — businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The Foundation is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key long-term fiscal challenges threatening America's future and to accelerating action on them. To address these challenges successfully, we work to bring Americans together to find and implement sensible, long-term solutions that transcend age, party lines and ideological divides in order to achieve real results. To learn more, please visit www.pgpf.org.
APPENDIX: Fiscal Confidence Index Methodology and Questions
CONCERN (34) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Thinking about our national debt over the last few years, would you say your level of concern has increased or decreased? ◊ Is that a lot or just a little? |
Nov 2013 | Oct 2013 | Sept 2013 | |
Increased a lot | 54% | 58% | 54% | |
Increased a little | 20% | 19% | 20% | |
Decreased a little | 9% | 6% | 9% | |
Decreased a lot | 4% | 4% | 4% | |
(No change) | 12% | 11% | 12% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 1% | 2% | 1% | |
INCREASED (NET) | 74% | 77% | 73% | |
DECREASED (NET) | 13% | 10% | 13% | |
When it comes to addressing our national debt, would you say things in the United States are heading in the right direction or do you think things are off on the wrong track? ◊ Do you feel that way strongly or just somewhat? |
Nov 2013 | Oct 2013 | Sept 2013 | |
Right direction-Strongly | 9% | 7% | 11% | |
Right direction-Somewhat | 14% | 12% | 14% | |
Wrong track-Somewhat | 18% | 18% | 17% | |
Wrong track-Strongly | 46% | 52% | 48% | |
(Neither/Mixed) | 7% | 8% | 7% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 5% | 3% | 3% | |
RIGHT DIRECTION (NET) | 23% | 20% | 25% | |
WRONG TRACK (NET) | 64% | 70% | 65% |
PRIORITY (24) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Some people say that addressing the national debt should be among the President and Congress' top 3 priorities. Do you agree or disagree? ◊ Do you feel that way strongly or just somewhat? |
Nov 2013 | Oct 2013 | Sept 2013 | |
Strongly agree | 58% | 67% | 64% | |
Somewhat agree | 21% | 17% | 20% | |
Somewhat disagree | 8% | 7% | 7% | |
Strongly disagree | 9% | 6% | 7% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 3% | 3% | |
AGREE (NET) | 80% | 83% | 84% | |
DISAGREE (NET) | 17% | 13% | 14% | |
And when it comes to our national debt, do you think it is an issue that the President and Congress should spend more time addressing or less time addressing? ◊ Would you say a lot (more or less) time or just a little? |
Nov 2013 | Oct 2013 | Sept 2013 | |
A lot more time | 63% | 67% | 66% | |
A little more time | 21% | 15% | 18% | |
A little less time | 6% | 6% | 6% | |
A lot less time | 4% | 4% | 5% | |
(The same amount of time) | 3% | 4% | 3% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 3% | 2% | |
MORE TIME (NET) | 84% | 83% | 84% | |
LESS TIME (NET) | 9% | 10% | 11% |
EXPECTATIONS (74) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
And thinking about our national debt over the next few years, do you expect the problem to get better or worse? ◊ Is that much (better or worse) or just somewhat (better or worse)? |
Nov 2013 | Oct 2013 | Sept 2013 | |
Much better | 9% | 8% | 8% | |
Somewhat better | 19% | 17% | 16% | |
Somewhat worse | 24% | 22% | 26% | |
Much worse | 38% | 43% | 40% | |
(No change) | 4% | 4% | 3% | |
(Don't know/Refused) | 6% | 5% | 7% | |
BETTER (NET) | 28% | 25% | 25% | |
WORSE (NET) | 62% | 65% | 66% | |
And when it comes to our national debt, are you optimistic or pessimistic that the United States will be able to make progress on our national debt over the next few years? ◊ Would you say you are very (optimistic or pessimistic) or just somewhat? |
Nov 2013 | Oct 2013 | Sept 2013 | |
Very optimistic | 16% | 16% | 21% | |
Somewhat optimistic | 33% | 27% | 26% | |
Somewhat pessimistic | 16% | 19% | 17% | |
Very pessimistic | 28% | 32% | 28% | |
(Neither/Mixed) | 3% | 4% | 4% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 3% | 4% | |
OPTIMISTIC (NET) | 49% | 43% | 47% | |
PESSIMISTIC (NET) | 45% | 50% | 45% |