While Washington wrangles over how to avoid defaulting on the government’s massive debt load, voters are worried the final deal will raise taxes too much but won't cut spending enough.
Even if the president and Congress can agree on a plan to raise the debt ceiling that raises taxes on the wealthy and cuts spending, less than half of America’s voters believe the spending cuts would actually happen.
Florida and Missouri have already passed measures that require some form of drug testing during the welfare application process, with Florida now requiring all applicants to be tested. A majority of voters nationwide agree with automatically testing all welfare applicants for illegal drug use.
When politicians talk about cutting government spending and raising taxes on the wealthy, voters are skeptical about the spending cuts and expect middle class taxes to go up, too.
Nearly one-half of Americans now think the United States can make major cuts in defense spending without putting the country in danger. They believe even more strongly that there’s no risk in cutting way back on what America spends to defend other countries.
Voters remain slightly more conservative when it comes to fiscal policy than they are on social issues, while 29% still say they are conservative in both areas.
One-in-five Americans (20%) say they or someone they know has bought large quantities of traditional light bulbs to use when those bulbs disappear off store shelves next year under new federal light bulb regulations.
Consistent with trust in individual citizens rather than government officials, most adults nationwide still trust a jury over a judge to determine the innocence or guilt of a defendant. However, faith in juries is down a bit following the Casey Anthony verdict.
Voters remain skeptical about U.S. military involvement in Libya, with a plurality still opposed to further military action in the north African country.
Voters oppose any increase in the federal gas tax even if the money goes only to developing and keeping up Interstate highways.
President Obama and Congress are currently debating how deep to cut government spending and whether to include some tax increases as part of a budget deal. But voters feel more strongly than ever that decreasing government spending is good for the economy and think tax increases of any kind are bad economic medicine.
Voters remain strongly supportive of a free market economy over one controlled by the government and still think small businesses are hurt more than big businesses when the government does get involved.
Support among voters for a military draft is at its lowest level in several years, but nearly one-out-of-three voters favor mandatory public service.
For the second month in a row, slightly more voters describe the Republican agenda in Congress as being more extreme than mainstream. Voters have consistently felt this way about the agenda of congressional Democrats.
Compared to the four presidents who followed him, Ronald Reagan had a more limited view of when to send U.S. military force into action overseas and voters today still embrace the more restrained use of force that he advocated.
The upcoming Fourth of July holiday marks the 235th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence's adoption by the Continental Congress, and most Americans still agree with the central tenets of the document that declared the nation's independence from Great Britain. Whether the United States meets those lofty goals is subject to debate.
Most Americans still believe the U.S. Constitution has a positive impact on American life and think it should be left as is. But a sizable number also feels the document does not put enough restrictions on government.
Voters say overwhelmingly that they would not vote for or against a political candidate solely because of the religion he or she practices.
As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, more Americans than ever see danger in a government that is too powerful.
Support for the death penalty remains high, and adults are a bit more confident that capital punishment helps deter crime than they were a year ago.
