Recent Polls on Taxing the Rich and Spending the Surplus

Nathan Newman nathan.newman at yale.edu
Sat Jul 31 05:50:11 PDT 1999


For just how disconnected the DC debate on tax cuts are from what the public wants (and how sad the progressive movement is for not stirring up more outrage), here are some recent poll numbers on taxes and spending. What is amazing is how deep the well of interest is in hitting the rich with more taxes. Only a tiny percentage of people think they are paying enough taxes. ---Nathan Newman ====

Gallup/CNN/USA Today Poll. Latest: April 6-7, 1999. As I read off some different groups, please tell me if you think they are paying their fair share in federal taxes, paying too much, or paying too little? How about [see below]?"

Fair Share Too Much Too Little No Opinion

"Lower-income people" 34 51 11 4

"Middle-income people" 35 59 4 2

"Upper-income people" 19 10 66 5

[And on whether there should be a tax cut at all]

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Robert Teeter (R). Latest: July 24-26, 1999.

"There is general agreement in Washington that there will be a substantial federal budget surplus over the next five to ten years. The Republicans and Democrats in Congress have agreed to set aside about two-thirds of the money for Social Security and Medicare. Which one of the following statements better describes what you think should be done with the rest of the budget surplus? "Statement A: There are many unmet needs in the country that the federal government should address, including education, health care, and national defense, and most of the money should go toward meeting those needs.

"Statement B: The federal government already devotes enough money to meeting the needs of the country, and most of the money should be returned to the taxpayers in the form of tax cuts."

%

Unmet needs 55

Tax cuts 34

Some of both (vol.) 5

Neither (vol.) 4

Not sure 2



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