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 who had heard about the proposal viewed it positively, compared with just 22% who viewed it negatively.
Reaction to the proposal has become much more politicized since January. The balance of opinion among Republicans, which was fairly evenly divided in January, has turned considerably more negative. More than six-in-ten Republicans (63%) who have heard about the proposal now say it is a bad idea – up 20 points in about a month. Increasing percentages of independents (up 12 points since January) and Democrats (up seven points) also see the proposal as a bad idea. Still, nearly half of independents (49%) and 70% of Democrats view the plan positively.
Notably, support for the proposal is now much lower than it was in January among those who have heard a lot about the economic stimulus. By 49% to 41%, those who have heard a lot about the proposal now see it as a good idea; in January, those who had heard a lot favored it by more than two-to-one. There has been less change among those who have heard less about the proposal.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Feb. 4-8 among 1,303 adults reached on landlines and cell phones, finds that concerns over the stimulus proposal’s effectiveness – rather than its cost – are fuelling opposition to the plan. A large majority of those who oppose Obama’s plan (61%) say it will not be effective – including those who cite concerns about “pork” or “special interests.” By contrast, 27% specifically cite the bill’s overall price-tag or its impact on the government’s debt.
The survey finds that, after nearly a month in office, Obama’s personal image is extremely strong. Overwhelming majorities view Obama as a strong leader (77%) and trustworthy (76%), while an even higher percentage (92%) says he is a good communicator. Moreover, the belief that Obama represents a break from politics as usual is widespread, despite the highly partisan reaction to his economic stimulus proposal. About two-thirds of Americans (66%) – including a narrow majority of Republicans – say that Obama “has a new approach to politics in Washington”; that compares with 25% who say his approach is “business as usual.”
Obama’s 64% job approval rating is higher than the initial marks for his two most recent predecessors, George W. Bush (53%) and Bill Clinton (56%). Somewhat fewer Americans (56%) approve of his handling of the economy, though only about a quarter (24%) disapproves; 20% offer no opinion.
With the congressional debate over the stimulus proposal at a crucial point, the public is evenly divided over whether Obama and Republicans on Capitol Hill are working together; 45% say they are not working together while 43% say that they are. However, by nearly four-to-one (61% to 16%), those who say Obama and the Republicans are not cooperating blame Republicans, rather than Obama, for the failure to work together.
Moreover, only about a third of Americans (34%) approve of the job that Republican leaders in Congress are doing, while 51% disapprove. The balance of opinion toward Democratic congressional leaders is much more positive; 48% approve of the job that they are doing compared with 38% who disapprove.
Tax Cuts Seen as More Stimulative than Spending
Among the many provisions in the massive economic stimulus package, two have received particular attention: the overall balance between new spending and tax reductions, and a proposal to require that spending in the legislation be limited to American-made products and services.
In principle, more Americans say that tax cuts for individuals and businesses – rather than spending on programs and infrastructure projects – will do more right now to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Nearly half (48%) says that tax cuts will do more for the economy, while 39% views government spending as more effective.
As expected there is a sizable partisan gap over the best way to stimulate economic growth. Republicans by more than two-to-one (63% to 26%) see tax cuts as more effective; Democrats, by a much smaller margin (47% to 41%), say that government spending on infrastructure and other projects will be a better way to jump-start the economy.
By contrast, the idea of requiring that spending in the stimulus plan be limited to U.S.-made goods and services wins broad support across partisan lines. Two-thirds of Americans think such a requirement is a good idea because it keeps jobs in America, while just 24% see it as a bad idea because other countries might retaliate by not buying American products and services. Wide majorities of Democrats (70%), Republicans (66%) and independents (63%) all agree that it would be a good idea for the plan to require that spending be limited to U.S.-made goods and services.
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http://people-press.org/report/490/obama-stimulus
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