Contact: Jeremy Rosen
jrosen@pgpf.org
Democrats and Republicans Deeply Concerned About Potential Economic Damage from a Shutdown
August Fiscal Confidence Index falls to 38, (100 is neutral)
NEW YORK (August 31, 2023) — A new Peter G. Peterson Foundation poll reveals that vast majorities of Americans across the political spectrum want lawmakers to avoid a federal shutdown. Voters are increasingly concerned about the economic damage created by political brinksmanship and the interruption of government services. In addition, the U.S. Fiscal Confidence Index fell two points this month to 38 (100 is neutral).
Nine-in-ten voters want policymakers to work together to avoid a shutdown and focus on implementing solutions to our growing national debt. Strong majorities of Americans also support the creation of a bipartisan fiscal commission to address the nation’s fiscal challenges, as has been proposed by a number of leaders from both parties in the House and Senate.
This new national survey, jointly conducted by Democratic firm Global Strategy Group and Republican firm North Star Opinion Research, finds:
More broadly, as lawmakers prepare to return to Washington following the August recess, 80% of voters want the debt to be a top-three priority for the president and Congress, including 71% of Democrats, 78% of independents and 92% of Republicans.
“Nobody wins in a government shutdown, especially our economy and the American people,” said Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation. “Today’s new poll shows that voters feel very strongly that we must avoid the economic damage of a shutdown, and focus instead on real solutions to our nation’s fiscal challenges. A bipartisan fiscal commission has support from strong majorities in both parties, and would be an effective means of having a rational and comprehensive process to work together on reforms to stabilize the national debt. Calls from their constituents cannot be clearer that we must regain control of the budget process and strengthen our fiscal foundation for the long term.”
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 1,013 registered voters nationwide, surveyed between August 21, 2023 and August 23, 2023. 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 (30) | |||
---|---|---|---|
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? |
August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 |
Increased a lot | 53% | 52% | 47% |
Increased a little | 31% | 32% | 34% |
Decreased a little | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Decreased a lot | 2% | 1% | 2% |
(No change) | 8% | 8% | 11% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 2% | 2% | 3% |
INCREASED (NET) | 84% | 83% | 81% |
DECREASED (NET) | 6% | 7% | 6% |
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? |
August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 |
Right direction — Strongly | 6% | 8% | 7% |
Right direction — Somewhat | 23% | 23% | 23% |
Wrong track — Somewhat | 27% | 26% | 26% |
Wrong track — Strongly | 42% | 40% | 38% |
(Neither/Mixed) | * | 1% | 1% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 2% | 3% | 5% |
RIGHT DIRECTION (NET) | 29% | 31% | 29% |
WRONG TRACK (NET) | 69% | 66% | 64% |
PRIORITY (22) | |||
---|---|---|---|
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? |
August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 |
Strongly agree | 52% | 54% | 49% |
Somewhat agree | 28% | 27% | 29% |
Somewhat disagree | 12% | 12% | 11% |
Strongly disagree | 4% | 4% | 4% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 3% | 6% |
AGREE (NET) | 80% | 81% | 79% |
DISAGREE (NET) | 16% | 16% | 15% |
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? |
August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 |
A lot more time | 53% | 50% | 51% |
A little more time | 31% | 33% | 33% |
A little less time | 6% | 7% | 5% |
A lot less time | 4% | 3% | 3% |
(The same amount of time) | 4% | 4% | 3% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 3% | 3% | 5% |
MORE TIME (NET) | 84% | 83% | 84% |
LESS TIME (NET) | 10% | 10% | 8% |
EXPECTATIONS (62) | |||
---|---|---|---|
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)? |
August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 |
Much better | 4% | 7% | 5% |
Somewhat better | 21% | 19% | 21% |
Somewhat worse | 33% | 37% | 35% |
Much worse | 35% | 30% | 32% |
(No change) | 3% | 3% | 3% |
(Don't know/Refused) | 3% | 3% | 5% |
BETTER (NET) | 25% | 26% | 26% |
WORSE (NET) | 68% | 68% | 67% |
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? |
August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 |
Very optimistic | 4% | 6% | 6% |
Somewhat optimistic | 37% | 38% | 34% |
Somewhat pessimistic | 34% | 35% | 38% |
Very pessimistic | 18% | 18% | 17% |
(Neither/Mixed) | 4% | 1% | 3% |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 3% | 2% | 3% |
OPTIMISTIC (NET) | 42% | 44% | 40% |
PESSIMISTIC (NET) | 52% | 53% | 54% |