Contact: Jeremy Rosen
jrosen@pgpf.org
The November 2019 Fiscal Confidence Index, Modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index, is 45 (100 is Neutral)
NEW YORK (November 26, 2019) — With the national debt surpassing $23 trillion for the first time, Americans remain highly concerned about the unsustainable fiscal outlook, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s monthly Fiscal Confidence Index. The November Fiscal Confidence Index, modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index, is 45 (100 is neutral), indicating that voters want their leaders to take action to manage the debt.
As the record debt continues to grow, more than eight in 10 voters (84%) say the president and Congress should spend more time focused on addressing the debt. Three in four voters (76%) want it to be a top-three priority for the president and Congress, including 72% of Democrats, 74% of independents and 84% of Republicans.
Nearly three quarters of Americans (74%) say their concern about the issue has increased over the past few years, and 62% believe the nation is on the wrong track.
“At $23 trillion and counting, the national debt is a major concern for the vast majority of Americans across party lines,” said Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation. “Voters see our nation’s rising debt as a growing threat to America’s economy, our ability to address critical national priorities, and our quality of life. Citizens want leaders to set a stronger, smarter fiscal course for the future.”
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 this poll by the Global Strategy Group and North Star Opinion Research to survey public opinion on the national debt. The online poll included 1,000 registered voters nationwide, surveyed between November 18, 2019 and November 21, 2019. This is the first monthly survey conducted online; prior surveys were conducted telephonically. 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/FiscalConfidenceIndex.
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key 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.
CONCERN (45) | |||
---|---|---|---|
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? |
November 2019 | October 2019 | September 2019 |
Increased a lot | 43% | 37% | 39% |
Increased a little | 31% | 22% | 24% |
Decreased a little | 9% | 11% | 11% |
Decreased a lot | 4% | 10% | 6% |
(No change) | 10% | 19% | 18% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 2% | 2% |
INCREASED (NET) | 74% | 58% | 63% |
DECREASED (NET) | 13% | 21% | 17% |
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? |
November 2019 | October 2019 | September 2019 |
Right direction-Strongly | 12% | 16% | 15% |
Right direction-Somewhat | 22% | 16% | 15% |
Wrong track-Somewhat | 22% | 16% | 15% |
Wrong track-Strongly | 33% | 41% | 40% |
(Neither/Mixed) | 1% | 6% | 7% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 5% | 5% |
RIGHT DIRECTION (NET) | 34% | 31% | 30% |
WRONG TRACK (NET) | 62% | 58% | 58% |
PRIORITY (23) | |||
---|---|---|---|
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? |
November 2019 | October 2019 | September 2019 |
Strongly agree | 50% | 46% | 47% |
Somewhat agree | 26% | 27% | 28% |
Somewhat disagree | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Strongly disagree | 3% | 8% | 8% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 7% | 7% | 5% |
AGREE (NET) | 76% | 73% | 75% |
DISAGREE (NET) | 17% | 20% | 19% |
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? |
November 2019 | October 2019 | September 2019 |
A lot more time | 48% | 49% | 54% |
A little more time | 36% | 30% | 26% |
A little less time | 6% | 6% | 4% |
A lot less time | 4% | 4% | 4% |
(The same amount of time) | 2% | 7% | 6% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 5% | 5% | 3% |
MORE TIME (NET) | 84% | 79% | 79% |
LESS TIME (NET) | 10% | 10% | 11% |
EXPECTATIONS (66) | |||
---|---|---|---|
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)? |
November 2019 | October 2019 | September 2019 |
Much better | 8% | 9% | 11% |
Somewhat better | 18% | 17% | 15% |
Somewhat worse | 31% | 27% | 27% |
Much worse | 34% | 32% | 34% |
(No change) | 2% | 6% | 5% |
(Don't know/Refused) | 7% | 10% | 7% |
BETTER (NET) | 25% | 26% | 26% |
WORSE (NET) | 65% | 58% | 61% |
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? |
November 2019 | October 2019 | September 2019 |
Very optimistic | 7% | 16% | 18% |
Somewhat optimistic | 34% | 31% | 29% |
Somewhat pessimistic | 35% | 22% | 24% |
Very pessimistic | 17% | 21% | 24% |
(Neither/Mixed) | 2% | 5% | 5% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 5% | 5% | 4% |
OPTIMISTIC (NET) | 41% | 47% | 47% |
PESSIMISTIC (NET) | 52% | 43% | 44% |