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8/9/2019 The Public Opinion Paradox
1/29www.americanprogress.o
The Public Opinion ParadoxAn Anatomy o Americas Love-Hate Relationship
with Its Government
Ruy Teixeira June 2010
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The Public Opinion ParadoxAn Anatomy o Americas Love-Hate Relationship
with Its Government
Ruy Teixeira June 2010
This publication is a product o CAPs Doing What Works project, which promotes government reorm to
eciently allocate scarce resources and achieve greater results or the American people. Doing What Works
specifcally has three key objectives: (1) eliminating or redesigning misguided spending programs and tax
expenditures ocused on priority areas such as health care, energy, and education; (2) improving govern-
ments ability to execute by streamlining management and strengthening operations in the areas o human
resources, inormation technology, and procurement; and (3) building a oundation or smarter decision
making by enhancing transparency, perormance measurement, and evaluation. Doing What Works publica-
tions and products can be viewed at http://www.americanprogress.org/projects/doing_what_works. This
project is undertaken in partnership with the Rockeeller Foundations Campaign or American Workers.
8/9/2019 The Public Opinion Paradox
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Doing What Works Advisory Board
Andres Alonso
CEO, Baltimore Public School System
Yigal Arens
Proessor, USC School o Engineering
Ian Ayres
Proessor, Yale Law School
Gary D. Bass
Executive Director, OMB Watch
Larisa Benson
Washington State Director o Perormance
Audit and Review
Anna Burger
Secretary-Treasurer, SEIU
Jack Dangermond
President, ESRI
Dan C. Esty
Proessor, Yale Law School
Beverly Hall
Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
Elaine Kamarck
Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard University
Sally Katzen
Executive Managing Director, The Podesta Group
Edward Kleinbard
Proessor, USC School o Law
John Koskinen
Non-Executive Chairman, Freddie Mac
Richard Leone
President, The Century Foundation
Ellen Miller
Executive Director, Sunlight Foundation
Claire OConnor
Former Director o Perormance Management,City o Los Angeles
Tim OReilly
Founder and CEO, OReilly Media
Ali Partovi
Senior Vice President o Business Development,
MySpace
Tony Scott
Chie Inormation Ocer, Microsot
Richard H. Thaler
Proessor, University o Chicago School
o Business
Eric Toder
Fellow, Urban Institute
Margery Austin Turner
Vice President or Research, Urban Institute
Laura D. Tyson
Proessor, University o Caliornia-Berkeley
School o Business
8/9/2019 The Public Opinion Paradox
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1 Introduction and summary
3 The publics positive agenda for government:
Do more with more
3 The public consistently believes government has a strong responsibility
to achieve a wide range of social goals
3 The public wants more government involvement in key areas
4 The public wants more government spending to solve national problems
5 The public wants a strong, active government
7 The public gives government performance the thumbs d
7 The public lacks trust and confidence in government
7 The public believes government is inefficient and wasteful
8 The public believes the government is not accountable
8 The public believes the government is unresponsive to ordinary citizens
8 The public sees the government as more of a hindrance than a help to
getting ahead in life
10 Conclusion
12 Appendix: Key studies on public views of government
23 Endnotes
24 About the author
Contents
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1 Center for American Progress |The Public Opinion Paradox
Introduction and summary
wo leading public opinion researchers in 1967 noiced a conradicion in
Americans atiude oward governmen: Tey waned he public secor o do
more bu were resisan o expanding is auhoriy. Te U.S. public was operaion-
ally liberal and ideologically conservaive, wroe Lloyd Free and Hadley Canril
in heir book, Te Poliical Beliefs of Americans.
Tis public opinion paradox has been one o he more enduring and rusraing
eaures o he poliical landscape over he ensuing ve decades. Public misrus opoliicians and bureaucras drains suppor rom governmen programs in precisely
hose areas where he public demands more acion. Case in poin: Tis dynamic
nearly derailed recen governmen atemps o reorm healh care, wih opponens
warning o a coming Fausian web o Washingon bureaucracy.
Te publics jaundiced view o governmen will coninue o endanger progressive
iniiaives unil we nally bridge he yawning gap beween wha people wan rom
heir governmen and wha hey believe i is capable o.
Te Cener or American Progress has commissioned a naional poll ha explores
how o align he American poliical psyches conradicory impulses as par o is
Doing Wha Works projec o promoe public condence in governmen by improv-
ing governmen operaions. (Survey ndings will be released July 27 a a Doing
Wha Works conerence.) Bu we mus undersand he gap beore we can bridge i.
Tis repor synhesizes major public opinion research abou Americans atiudes
oward governmen and summarizes key ndings abou he publics posiive
agenda or governmen and is negaiveoulook on governmens abiliy o
execue ha agenda.
The positive agenda: Surveys show Americans wan more governmen
acion in key areas such as healh, povery, law enorcemen, and improving
he environmen.
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The negative outlook: Polls reveal he U.S. public lacks rus and condence in
governmen, and believes i is inecien, unresponsive o ordinary ciizens, and
oen hurs more han i helps.
Te paper aims o provide a richer undersanding o his public opinion paradox in
anicipaion o he upcoming DWW poll on how o x he problem. Te appendixincludes addiional background on he major polls and surveys he repor analyzes.
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3 Center for American Progress |The Public Opinion Paradox
The publics positive agenda for
government: Do more with more
Public opinion research shows Americans have a long and varied posiive agenda or
heir governmen. Te key ndings rom his research are examined in his secion.
The public consistently believes government has a strong
responsibility to achieve a wide range of social goals
Americans were asked in 2003 wheher governmen has a responsibiliy orsrong responsibiliy o accomplish social goals. Tey emphasized he govern-
men should secure he naional deense and provide a srong miliary (96 percen
responsibiliy and 84 percen srong responsibiliy). Tey also waned governmen
o be responsible or a long lis o domesic policy prioriies (see able below). 1
The public wants more government involvement in key areas
A majoriy o Americans polled in 2008 waned more governmen inervenion in:
Americans want government to deliver on domestic priorities
Social goals and the U.S publics belies about how responsible government should be or achieving those goals
Social goal Responsibility Strong responsibility
Protecting the environment 93 percent 69 percent
Preventing abuse by corporations and the powerul 92 percent 71 percent
Ensuring equal opportunity 88 percent 67 percent
Guaranteeing a quality public education 87 percent 70 percent
Guaranteeing health insurance or all 76 percent 60 percent
Preventing poverty 76 percent 49 percent
Helping people with unemployment and health care crises 75 percent 40 percent
Guaranteeing a secure retirement 74 percent 46 percent
Source: Public Interests Project, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 1,002 adults nationally, October 21-26, 2003.
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Energy (77 percen) Environmen (75 percen) Healh care (72 percen) Economy and job growh (68 percen) Educaion (67 percen)2
A majoriy in 2000 also suppored more specic iniiaives such as providing a
decen sandard o living or he elderly (73 percen), ensuring ood and drug
saey (73 percen), ensuring access o aordable healh care (73 percen), reduc-
ing povery (69 percen), ensuring clean air and waer (67 percen), and seting
minimum educaional sandards or schools (64 percen).3
The public wants more government spending to solve
national problems
Respondens o he Universiy o Chicagos General Social Survey have been
asked since 1973 wheher governmen spends oo litle, oo much, or abou he
righ amoun on a series o naional problems. We can derive a ne spending score
ha gauges public demand or addiional invesmen by subracing he percen-
age o respondens who believe we spend oo much rom he percenage who
wan more spending. Te laes survey in 2008 shows a srong desire or more
spending in he ollowing areas: 4
The public wants to see more money spent on national issuesNet spending scores on domestic problems or General Social Survey respondents, 2008
Problem area We spend too little We spend too much Net spending score
Education 74 percent 5 percent +68 percent
Health 76 percent 8 percent +68 percent
Poverty 70 percent 8 percent +62 percent
Environment 67 percent 9 percent +59 percent
Social security 62 percent 6 percent +56 percent
Crime 62 percent 7 percent +55 percent
Drug addiction 57 percent 10 percent +47 percent
Law enorcement 54 percent 9 percent +45 percent
Mass transportation 49 percent 8 percent +41 percent
Drug rehabilitation 50 percent 13 percent +37 percent
Urban problems 49 percent 13 percent +36 percent
Highway and bridges 45 percent 10 percent +36 percent
Source: Tom W. Smith, Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2008 (National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, 2009).
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The public wants a strong, active government
Te Cener or American Progress Progressive Sudies Program ideology survey in 2009
ound ha he public suppors governmen acion in a number o areas. Seveny-hree
percen o respondens agreed ha governmen regulaions are necessary o keep busi-
nesses in check and proec workers and consumers, while only 12 percen disagreed. Only9 percen disagreed ha governmen invesmens in educaion, inrasrucure, and science
are necessary o ensure Americas long-erm economic growh, compared wih 79 percen
who agreed. Given a choice beween he wo saemens, governmen should do more o
promoe he common good and governmen should do more o promoe individual lib-
ery he public seleced he common good saemen by a 60 percen o 37 percen margin.
Likewise, respondens suppored he saemen is ime or governmen o ake a larger
and sronger role in making he economy work or he average American over urning
o big governmen o solve our economic problems will do more harm han good by a
62 percen o 35 percen margin.
Te public also demonsraed an overwhelming preerence or srong governmen in
he 2008 Universiy o Michigan Naional Elecion Sudy. Respondens said we need
governmen o handle complex economic problems raher han relying solely on he ree
marke by a 69 percen o 31 percen margin.5
The public does support select government agencies and programs
Tese agencies ge high approval raings rom he public in public opinion polls:
Ceners or Disease Conrol: 90 percen Naional Insiues or Healh: 80 percen Federal Aviaion Adminisraion: 76 percen Food and Drug Adminisraion: 75 percen Federal Bureau o Invesigaions: 69 percen
And a majoriy o people say hey have beneed a grea deal or a air amoun rom:
Governmen roads and highways: 70 percen Parks and recreaion programs: 66 percen Public schools: 65 percen Food and drug saey regulaion: 58 percen Consumer saey regulaion: 58 percen 6
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Finally, he public has a very avorable or somewha avorable view o some
ederal governmen work:
Naional deense programs: 78 percen Environmenal programs: 71 percen
Medicare: 70 percen Social Securiy: 69 percen Federal educaion programs: 66 percen7
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The public gives government
performance the thumbs down
By and large, public suppor or some governmen agencies and appeie or more
governmen inervenion in key areas is no mached by a posiive appreciaion o
he governmens perormance. Some key ndings rom he research on his opic
are lised in his secion.
The public lacks trust and confidence in government
Only 31 percen o he public said Washingon can be rused o do whas righ
always or mos o he ime in he 2008 Naional Elecion Sudy, or NES, com-
pared wih he 69 percen o respondens who said he governmen can be rused
only some or none o he ime.8 In anoher ABC/Washingon Pospoll only 8 per-
cen o respondens said hey had a lo o condence ha he ederal governmen
can solve problems when i is resolved o do so. Tas compared wih 38 percen
who had some condence, 33 percen who expressed a litle condence, and
21 percen wih no condence.9
Only 16 percen o respondens o an NBC/Wall Sree Journal poll said hey had
a grea deal or quie a lo o condence in he ederal governmen generally, while
41 percen had some and 42 percen very litle condence or none.10 Abou hree-
quarers o he public said he ederal governmen does only a air or poor job
running is programs in a 2010 Pew survey. 11
The public believes government is inefficient and wasteful
Sixy-one percen o he public agreed ha governmen spending is almosalways waseul and inecien in a ypical recen nding rom CAP.12 A 2009
Gallup poll ound Americans esimae he ederal governmen wases hal o all ax
dollars.13 And 73 percen o respondens agreed ha governmen workers wase a
lo o money we pay in axes in he 2008 Naional Elecion Sudy.14
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Tese eelings undergird a srong American anipahy o axes. Almos wo-
hirds o respondens in a 2003 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll agreed ha I
don like paying axes because he governmen is oo waseul and inecien,15
and 83 percen o survey respondens in a 2007 Greenberg poll said he ederal
governmen is more likely o wase any increase in he governmen coer han
spend i well.16
The public believes the government is not accountable
Tree-quarers o he public said a lack o governmen accounabiliy or spend-
ing was a very serious or serious problem in he 2007 Greenberg poll. And by
a 58 percen o 36 percen margin in ha same poll, he public preerred ha
Congress prioriize cuting waseul spending and making governmen more
accounable over invesmens in public prioriies such as healh care, educaion,
and energy.17
The public believes the government is unresponsive to
ordinary citizens
Abou 70 percen o he public believes governmen is run by a ew big ineress
and no or he bene o all ciizens, according o he 2008 NES. Whas more,
60 percen o hose respondens agreed wih he senimen, Public ocials don
care much wha people like me hink.18 wo years earlier, 64 percen o hose
surveyed by he Naional Opinion Research Cener endorsed he idea ha mos
public ocials are no really ineresed in he problems o he average man.19 And
in 2003, 55 percen o hose surveyed by Pew said dealing wih a ederal govern-
men agency is oen no worh he rouble.20
The public sees the government as more of a hindrance than a
help to getting ahead in life
Respondens in he 2007 Greenberg poll hough governmen makes i harderraher han easier o ge ahead in lie by a 2-o-1 margin.21 And a pluraliy in a
2009 Pew poll said governmen does more o hur han help people rying o
move up he economic ladder.
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Bu a elling demonsraion o he paradox o American public opinion on govern-
men is ound in he very same Pew poll. Despie he respondens negaive view
o governmen cied above, he poll showed srong majoriies endorsing a wide
range o proposed governmen acions as very eecive in promoing eco-
nomic mobiliy: making college more aordable, reducing he cos o healh care,
expanding job raining programs, and making i easier o save or reiremen.22
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Conclusion
Americans display a love-hae relaionship wih heir governmen, and heir
conradicory views are, o course, inerrelaed and muually reinorcing. A
Pew Cener sudy o he publics views on governmen ound ha he sronges
predicor o a persons misrus o governmen was a poor raing o governmens
perormance.23 Anoher Kaiser/NPR/Harvard sudy on he same subjec ound
73 percen ciing he ineciency and waseulness o he ederal governmen as a
major reason or heir disrus o governmen.24
Tese atiudes cause he public o resis spending increases or he very programs
hey avor. Tis creaes an under-resourced public secor, which makes i less
likely governmen can succeed in achieving is objecives, which in urn only
reinorces he lack o condence and rus in governmen. Is a vicious cycle wih
a vengeance.
Te orhcoming CAP Doing Wha Works survey will poin o ways we can break
his cycleand he sakes are high. On he one hand, a subsanial srenghening
o public rus and condence in governmen could resul i he publics percep-
ions o governmen perormance improve a a ime o large-scale Obama admin-
israion iniiaives in such areas as healh care and energy.
On he oher hand, a signican opporuniy or rehabiliaing acive governmen
over he long erm will likely be los i he cycle is no broken. Te publics ear o
governmen spending and sensiiviy o governmen deb may moderae as he
counrys economic siuaion improves and unemploymen comes down. Bu a
undamenal lack o condence in governmen will persis and undercu suppor
or an acive and well-resourced public secor i he Obama adminisraions iniia-
ives in paricular and he governmen in general are viewed as uncioning nobeter han in he pas aer he sorm passes.
Furher, demographic shis in he counry underscore how vial he curren
opporuniy o build governmen suppor is. By and large, growing groups like
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Hispanics, proessionals, and single women hold he mos posiive views o gov-
ernmen and is poenial. And he burgeoning segmen o whie college graduaes,
hough no as posiive as hese groups, is neverheless signicanly more suppor-
ive o governmen han he declining whie working class.
Perhaps mos imporan, we mus pay special atenion o he so-called Millennialgeneraion, hose born aer 1978. Millennials are much more likely han older
generaions o have a posiive atiude oward governmens poenial o solve
problems. Bu heir cynicism abou governmen eeciveness is also sriking:25
Millennials are less rusing o he ederal governmen han oher young aduls
have been on average during he las 50 years. And heyre ar less rusing han
young aduls in he 1950s and 1960s.
Millennials especially disrus eleced ocials. Fiy-our percen o Millennials
believed ha quie a ew, raher han no many, governmen ocials werecrooked in he 2008 Naional Elecion Sudy.
Sixy-hree percen o Millennials describe hemselves as less likely han previ-
ous generaions o rus governmen and poliical leaders.
A whopping 93 percen o Millennials agree ha governmen is dominaed by
special ineress and lobbyiss, who give millions o dollars in campaign conri-
buions o poliicians, who in urn give even more back o hose special ineress,
while he res o us are le holding he bag.
Tese ndings make i all he more criical o srenghen condence in govern-
men. A generaion ha migh have suppored more acive governmen may
insead mimic heir parens cynicism i he above views are reinorced by iniia-
ives deemed waseul and inecien.
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Appendix: Key studies on public
views of government
The People and Their Government: Distrust, Discontent, Anger and
Partisan Rancor
Pew Research Center, April 2010
Tis sudy is based on a March 2010 survey o 2,505 aduls, probing heir atiudes
oward governmen and comparing hese responses o earlier surveys done in he
lae 1990s by Pew. According o he sudy:
While a majoriy also disrused he ederal governmen in hose [earlier] sur-
veys, criicism o governmen had declined rom earlier in he decade. And he
publics desire or governmen services and acivism was holding seady. Tis
is no he case oday. Jus 22 percen say hey can rus he ederal governmen
almos always or mos o he ime, which is among he lowes measures in hal a
cenury. Abou he same percenage (19 percen) say hey are basically conen
wih he ederal governmen, which is largely unchanged rom 2006 and 2007
bu lower han a decade ago.
Opinions abou eleced ocials are paricularly poor. In a ollow-up survey
in early April 2010 jus 25 percen expressed a avorable opinion o Congress,
which was virually unchanged rom Marchs 26 percen prior o he healh care
reorm bills passage. Tis is he lowes avorable raing or Congress in a quarer
cenury o Pew Research Cener surveys. Over he las year, avorable opinions
o Congress have declined by hal, rom 50 percen o 25 percen.
Federal agencies and insiuions also are viewed much more posiively
han Congress. Noneheless, avorable raings have allen signicanly since
1997-1998 or 7 o 13 ederal agencies included in he survey. Te declineshave been paricularly large or he Deparmen o Educaion, he Food and
Drug Adminisraion, and he Social Securiy Adminisraion, as well as he
Environmenal Proecion Agency, NASA, and he Ceners or Disease Conrol.
In erms o job perormance, majoriies give posiive raings o jus 6 o he
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13 Center for American Progress |The Public Opinion Paradox
15 agencies or insiuions esed, including he miliary (80 percen gave i a
good-excellen raing) and he Posal Service (70 percen).
Te survey also nds an increase in he percenage saying he ederal govern-
men negaively aecs heir day-o-day lives. Fiy percen said he ederal
governmen had a posiive eec on heir daily lives in Ocober 1997 com-pared wih 31 percen who said is impac was negaive. Currenly, 38 percen
see he ederal governmens personal impac as posiive while slighly more
(43 percen) see i as negaive.
Americans eelings abou he ederal governmen, however, run more oward
rusraion raher han anger despie he recen atenion paid o demonsraions
and oher expressions o anigovernmen senimen. Fiy-six percen in he
curren survey say hey are rusraed wih he ederal governmen, 21 percen
say hey are angry, and 19 percen say hey are basically conen. Majoriies have
expressed rusraion wih he ederal governmen since Ocober 1997, wiha single noable excepion: Jus 34 percen said hey were rusraed wih he
ederal governmen wo monhs aer he 9/11 atacks, in November 2001.
Finally, a majoriy o he public (56 percen) says ha i hey had a child jus ge-
ing ou o school hey would like o see him or her pursue a career in governmen
despie he rusraion mos Americans eel wih governmen. And 70 percen say
he governmen is a good place o work, which is unchanged rom Ocober 1997.
The State of American Political Ideology, 2009
The Political Ideology of the Millennial Generation
New Progressive America
New Progressive America: The Millennial Generation
Progressive Studies Program, Center for Amer ican Progress, March-May 2009
Tese sudies include subsanial secions on Americans views o governmen
based on an original poll plus exensive reviews o public daa. Te mos relevan
ndings rom hese sudies include:
Te greaes consensus on governmens role is ound on he imporance o
governmen invesmen o he naions long-erm economic healh. Americans
agree by almos a 9-o-1 margin ha governmen invesmens in educaion,
inrasrucure, and science are necessary o ensure Americas long-erm eco-
nomic growh (79 percen agree, 12 percen neural, 9 percen disagree).
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14 Center for American Progress |The Public Opinion Paradox
Te public also shows broad agreemen on governmens responsibiliy o
provide nancial suppor or he needies in our sociey. More han wo in hree
Americans agree ha governmen has a responsibiliy o provide nancial sup-
por or he poor, he sick, and he elderly (69 percen), while 15 percen are
neural and anoher 15 percen disagree.
Te sronges conservaive posiion and he mos eecive criique agains a more
acive role or governmen is he atack on he waseulness o governmen spend-
ing. Overall, 61 percen agree ha governmen spending is almos always waseul
and inecien, while anoher 16 percen are neural and 23 percen disagree.
Growing groups hold he mos posiive views o governmen. In he 2008
elecion exi poll, Millennial (18- o 29-year-old) voers el by 69 percen o
27 percen (compared o 51 percen o 43 percen overall among all voers) ha
governmen should be doing more o solve problems raher han governmen is
doing oo many hings bes le o businesses and individuals. Similarly, on heProgressive Sudies Program surveys progressive governmen index, Millennials
scored 56.3, compared o 54 or he public as a whole. Hispanics scored even
higher a 59.9. Proessionals and single women also had high scores, 57.2 and
56.2, respecively. Whie college graduaes scored slighly lower han he overall
average (53.4) bu sill signicanly higher han he declining whie working
class (51.5), chiefy because whie college graduaes are much less persuaded by
conservaive counerargumens on governmen.
Millennials wan governmen o play a srong and posiive role in odays
economy, bu a disjuncure exiss beween Millennials views on how govern-
men should work and heir views on curren governmen insiuions and
mos eleced ocials. Millennials rus he ederal governmen less han oher
young aduls have on average during he 50 years his quesion has been asked
(46 percen), and hey are ar less rusing han young aduls in he 1950s and
1960s when more han 70 percen o young people hough hey could rus he
ederal governmen o do wha is righ mos or all o he ime.
Findings from a National Survey and Focus Groups on Economic MobilityEconomic Mobility Project, Pew Charitable Trusts, March 12, 2009
Tis sudy looks a American atiudes oward economic mobiliy, including he
governmens role in aciliaing mobiliy. Te key ndings on governmens role are:
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ranked las by a considerable margin by 1992, as i does oday. By conras, he
percenage o Americans expressing eiher a grea deal or air amoun o rus
and condence in heir sae and local governmens acually rose subsanially
beween 1972 and 2007. Te ederal governmens avorabiliy raing in he cur-
ren decade has slumped o only 37 percen versus 54 percen on he eve o he
2000 elecion, while sae and local governmens hold seady in public eseem.
Obama should use his [2010] budge o demonsrae ha he is serious abou
cuting appropriaions or inecien programs and erminaing hose ha have
oulived heir useulness. He should rame budge and programs in he clear
language o perormance goals, including concree sandards governing how
ciizens can expec o be reaed when hey deal wih he public secor.
Te ederal Governmen Perormance and Resuls Ac will be 16 years old when
he nex presiden akes oce. Te ac has generaed a wealh o daa on how
dieren pars o he governmen acually perorm. Bu i is largely ignored bypoliicians or used o disparage only hose programs o which hey are ideologi-
cally opposed. Perormance sandards should be used as inendedas a means
o managing he governmen and communicaing wih he public.
Attitudes Toward the Federal Government
Karlyn Bowman, American Enterprise Institute, June 2008
Tis sudy is essenially a compendium o ime-series daa on public views oward
he ederal governmen. Full quesion wording and resuls are provided or almos
all relevan quesions. Te sudy noes:
Conemporary polls show ha Americans believe he ederal governmen can
have a posiive impac on peoples lives. Bu only small proporions believe he
governmen isplaying ha role oday. Perhaps more damaging, signican num-
bers believe he governmen creaes more problems han i solves. Large majori-
ies do no rus he governmen o do wha is righ. People believe Washingon is
oo big, inecien, and waseul. Tey do no have a high regard or poliicians.
Americans oday sill wan he ederal governmen o do many hings. Bu hey
are criical o governmen perormance. Tere is no evidence o a legiimacy cri-
sis. Americans hink heir governmen is he bes in he world despie is auls.
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Getting the Public to Listen
Democracy Corps, February 27, 2007
Tis sudy is based on a naional survey done in he aermah o he 2006
elecion o examine public dissaisacion wih governmen and wheher
Democraic conrol o Congress was miigaing ha dissaisacion. Assummarized in he sudy:
Te core o he problem is a undamenal belie ha governmen and he
poliicians who lead i reuse o be held accounable or he way hey conduc
businesshow hey spend money, whom hey lisen o when seting heir pri-
oriies, and how hey conduc hemselves. Te severiy o his problem canno
be oversaed, and he publics belie ha governmen and is leaders are simply
no accounable and do no ake responsibiliy colors he publics willingness o
suppor governmen eors on issues. When iniiaives and proposals are inro-
duced in ocus groups, even he mos popular ones are greeed wih laugherand he ineviable quesion, bu will hey acually do i?
Americans now view governmen as more o a barrier han a helping hand, and
is ailure o be accounable in a way ha produces resuls is cenral o hese
doubs. Voers perceive governmen as slow, cumbersome, and unable o move
a a as pace and keep up wih he res o he world. Accounabiliy sis a he
core o he problem, and is comprised o hree key dimensions on he survey.
Firs, he public has virually no condence in Washingon o spend money in a
way ha ges resuls. Perhaps he mos sunning nding in he survey is ha jus
13 percen believe he ederal governmen would spend addiional money well
while 83 percen say i would be wased.
Te second dimensionand a very imporan oneis he noion ha he
people who run governmen operae by a dieren se o rules, and hey do no
ake responsibiliy or heir acions or or wha hey say. Simply pu, people
are sick and ired o poliicians who no only operae by a dieren se o rules
bu also reuse o alk sraigh, ake responsibiliy, and admi a misake when
somehing goes wrong.
Tird, people believe ha Washingon lisens o he wealhy and powerul and
no o hem in deermining he prioriies and ocus o governmen.
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Te elecorae wans governmen o play a major role on a range o issues,
bu i lacks condence ha governmen will do wha is needed o ge resuls.
Governmen receives a posiive job approval raing o over 50 percen on only
1 issue o 10 esed (naional securiy), and is raings or nearly every issue
range beween he high 20s and high 30s.
By, or for, the People?: A Meta-Analysis of Public Opinion on the Government
Meg Bostrom, Demos, January 2005
Tis sudy reviews a wide range o daa on public views o governmen. I uses an
approach called Sraegic Frame Analysis, which seeks o illuminae he sories
or rames he public uses o hink abou an insiuion like governmen. Te daa
reviewed are, however, quie useul wih or wihou he raming approach.
Te sudy covers boh views on ciizens role in governance (by he people) andon wha governmen acually does or ciizens (or he people). Te sudy nds:
Te public saes ha governmen serves he special ineress and pursues is
own agenda when asked wheher or no governmen serves he public iner-
es. Te public rmly believes ha governmen would be beter i i more ruly
represened he majoriys desires.
When people hink o governmen as a service provider hey are likely o reac
as consumers would and consider wheher or no hey bene rom governmen
programs and services and wheher he programs are worh he money hey pay
in axes. Frequenly hey respond negaively and deermine ha governmen
is waseul and inecien. Tey hope, however, ha governmen can use is
services o solve problems.
Governmen airs poorly as a service provider when people are considering gov-
ernmen programs overall, and people rae governmen services poorly wihou
specic examples o remind hem o heir ineracions wih governmen. People
are more likely o repor ha governmen programs have no really helped me
and my amily (52 percen) raher han say hey have helped (41 percen). Buwhen heyre reminded o he governmens wide range o services and programs
signican majoriies repor ha hey have beneed personally rom governmen
programs and services. And reminding people o specic governmen programs
and services appears o improve raings o governmens eec on peoples lives.
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Taxes, Government and the Obligations of Citizenship
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, November 12, 2003
Tis sudy is based on a naional survey ha was conduced o invesigae he
possibiliy o moving ax debaes away rom a ocus on ax cus. Among he
sudys ndings:
People believe governmen has a srong role in ensuring all people have equal
opporuniy o acquire he skills hey need o succeed in lie. And people see
heir axes as he conribuion every ciizen makes o ensure ha we have basic
services such as public educaion, naional deense, and a clean environmen.
Americans do no dislike governmen because hey hink i gives handous o
he undeserving. Raher hey are skepical ha governmen spends ax dollars
well, and hey believe i wases money or works in a way ha is mired in ine-
ciencies. Tis belie does no negae he ac ha people expressed suppor orgovernmen, bu we canno advance a posiive vision o governmen wihou
sensiiviy oward governmen eliism and indierence o axpayer money.
Americans Distrust Government, but Want It to Do More
NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Kennedy School, June 2000
Tis sudy is based on a large sample survey devoed solely o examining Americans
atiudes oward governmen. According o he sudy summary o key ndings:
Americans like wha governmen does bu hae he way hey hink i does i. Inmany ways, Americans love-hae relaionship wih governmen is he dierence
beween he specic, which hey love, and he general, which hey hae. For
insance, 60 percen o Americans say governmen has gone oo ar in regulaing
business and inerering wih he ree enerprise sysem. Bu when asked abou
specic areas ha he governmen now regulaes or could regulaerom auo-
mobile saey o healh care o elevision conenAmericans are much more
likely o say here is no enough regulaion han hey are o say here is oo much.
Indeed, mos Americans have posiive views abou many ederal governmen
programs, rom educaion programs (66 percen) o drug enorcemen (59 per-
cen) o ood samps (53 percen). In many areas hey wan more governmen
involvemenor example, o reduce povery (69 percen), o ensure clean
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air and waer (67 percen), and o se minimum educaion sandards (64 per-
cen)and very ew Americans wan less or no governmen involvemen in
he areas surveyed. Bu Americans have exremely negaive views when asked
general quesions abou governmen. Only 29 percen rus he ederal govern-
men o do wha is righ almos always or mos o he ime. And a majoriy o
Americans (55 percen) considers governmen corrupion a very imporanproblem. Anoher 34 percen hink corrupion is a somewha imporan prob-
lem, and only 9 percen hink i is no very imporan or no imporan a all.
Americans oer a wide range o reasons or why hey don rus he ederal
governmen.A majoriy poins o governmen wase and ineciency (73 per-cen), parisan bickering (68 percen), special ineress having oo much
infuence (65 percen), a lack o honesy and inegriy among eleced ocials
(64 percen), and high axes (57 percen). Given a lis o 11 possible reasons or
disrus, ewer han 20 percen said any one o hem was no a reason.
Americans say ha he ederal governmen has more impac on heir daily lives
han heir sae or local governmens, which is conrary o common wisdom.Indeed, more Americans (41 percen) say ha he ederal governmen has a lo
o impac on heir daily lives han eiher heir sae (30 percen) or local (30 per-
cen) governmens. Tis impac may no be posiive or everyone, eiher, as
hree in ve people (61 percen) who say ha he ederal governmen has a lo
o impac also say i is a hrea o heir personal liberies. Bu Americans eel he
ederal governmen has more impac even hough hey also believe heir voice is
more likely o be heard by sae or local ocials and even hough hey rus heir
sae and local governmens more.
Deconstructing Distrust: How Americans View Government
Pew Research Center, March 10, 1998
Tis sudy is based on a series o original surveys and ocus groups ha were inen-
sively analyzed o examine why Americans disrus governmen. Among he mos
imporan ndings:
Americans are drawing sharper disincions beween ederal, sae, and local
governmens han hey once did. More people rus heir sae and local govern-
mens han he ederal governmen. Bu i was no always ha way. weny-ve
years ago people were more conden in he ederal governmen han in hose
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closer o home. Since hen condence in Washingon has eroded while aih in
sae and local governmen has acually grown.
Americans give he governmen dismal perormance raings. An overwhelming
majoriy o he public says ha he governmen does a air or poor job manag-
ing is programs and providing services (74 percen). Almos as many agree hawhen a program is run by governmen i is usually inecien and waseul (64
percen). Tese low marks do no come up signicanly when people are asked
abou ederal handling o specic asks. For insance, 52 percen o Americans
say he governmen is doing only a air job providing or he elderly. weny
percen describe he eor as poor.
Americans express mixed views on why he ederal governmens perormance is
so lackluser. When asked wha he governmens bigges problem isis priori-
ies or ineciency61 percen choose ineciency. Bu when people look more
closely a specic issues governmen akes on, many acknowledge he complex-iy o he issues. Among hose who give he governmen low marks on healh
care, or example, 48 percen blame he complexiy o he issue compared o 45
percen who blame he governmen.
Whaever he reason, he governmens perceived perormance ailures signi-
canly undermine rus. Fully 70 percen o hose who give he governmen a air
or poor raing say hey basically disrus governmen. Te inverse is also rue:
Seveny-six percen o hose who are saised wih governmen perormance
basically rus he governmen.
One reason perormance acors so prominenly in rus is ha Americans have
high expecaions or he role governmen should play in public lie. Fully 72
percen o Americans believe he governmen should see o i ha no one is
wihou ood, clohing, or sheler in his counryas many as el ha way in
he 1960s. Many Americans also say i is he ederal governmens responsibiliy
o manage he economy (68 percen), conserve naural resources (52 percen),
and provide or he elderly (46 percen).
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Endnotes
1 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Public Interests Project, conducted byOctober 21-26, 2003.
2 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007..
3 NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Kennedy School, At-titudes toward Government, conducted by ICR/I nternational Com-munications Research, May 26, 2000-June 25, 2000.
4 Tom W. Smith, Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2008(University of Chicago: National Opinion Research Center, 2009).
5 Authors analysis of 2008 National Election Study.
6 Meg Bostrom, By, or for, the People?: A Meta-Analysis of Public Opin-ion on the Government (Washington: Demos, 2005), pp. 33, 35, andPew Research Center, The People and Their Government: Distrust, Dis-content, Anger and Partisan Rancor, conducted April 18, 2010. Wherethere is more than one rating available, the highest rating is used.
7 NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Kennedy School, At-titudes toward Government, conducted by ICR/ International Com-munications Research, May 26, 2000-June 25, 2000.
8 Authors analysis of 2008 NES data. Since the 2008 election,responses to this trust question have been even less positive. Aspring 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center, The People and
Their Government: Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor,found just 22 percent saying the government in Washington can betrusted to do whats right all or most of the time.
9 Karlyn Bowman, Attitudes Toward the Federal Government (Wash-ington: American Enterprise Institute, 2008) p. 10, latest poll cited
for question.
10 Ibid. p. 18.
11 Pew Research Center, The People and Their Government: Distrust,Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor, conducted April 18, 2010.
12 John Halpin and Karl Agne, The State of American Political Ideology,2009 (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2009).
13 Gallup poll, 2009
14 Authors analysis of 2008 NES data.
15 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Public Interests Project, conductedOctober 21-26, 2003.
16 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007.
17 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007.
18 Authors analysis of 2008 NES data.
19 Bowman, Attitudes Toward the Federal Government, p. 29-30, latestpoll cited for question.
20 Pew Research Center, 2,528 adults nationally, July 14, 2003-August 5, 2003.
21 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Getting the Public to Listen, conductedFebruary 28, 2007..
22 Pew Economic Mobility Project, survey of 2100 adults, January27-February 8, 2009.
23 Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, DeconstructingDistrust, conducted September 25, 1997-October 31, 1997.
24 NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Kennedy School, At-
titudes toward Government, conducted by ICR/ International Com-munications Research, May 26, 2000-June 25, 2000.
25 David Madland and Ruy Teixeira, New Progressive America: The Mil-lennial Generation (Washington: Canter for American Progress, 2009).
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