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"If both sides lose, the Republicans are primed to lose more."
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Michael Dimock of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press [McClatchy]
Check out the public opinion survey on the sequester here. 49% of Americans say they would blame Republicans in Congress if a deal was not struck before the budget deadline today, while only 31% say they would blame President Obama.
Hint: It’s one of ours.
via Wonkblog.
If so, you’re not alone — most Americans say the budget sequester would have a major effect on the economy as well as on the U.S. military. And by more than three-to-one (62%-18%), the public sees the impact on the economy as mostly negative rather than mostly positive.
At a time when the Republican Party’s image is at a historic low, a Pew Research Center survey on the political parties finds 62% of the public says the GOP is out of touch with the American people, 56% think it is not open to change and 52% say the party is too extreme. Opinions about the Democratic Party are mixed, but the party is mostly viewed more positively than the GOP.
Change over time in Americans’ preferences for increasing or decreasing spending on various programs. The long-term trend over the past quarter-century is, for the most part, away from spending growth.
While Obama’s job ratings are up at least slightly among many demographic groups, one of the most striking turnarounds over the past year is in the views of Hispanics. Read more.
By a wide margin (71% to 26%), the public favors increasing the minimum wage from its current level of $7.25 per hour to $9.00 an hour. But while large majorities of Democrats (87%) and independents (68%) favor raising the minimum wage, Republicans are evenly divided (50% favor, 47% oppose).
After a series of fiscal crises over the past few years, the public is not expressing a particular sense of urgency over the pending March 1 sequester deadline, according to a new national Pew Research Center/USA TODAY survey. With little more than a week to go, barely a quarter have heard a lot about the scheduled cuts, while about as many have heard nothing at all.
In addition, If there is no deficit deal by March 1, 49% say congressional Republicans would be more to blame while just 31% would mostly blame the president.
Our daily indicators database tracks things like political attitudes, U.S. national conditions, domestic issues and media and technology progress. Check in with it frequently to see how attitudes and issues are changing over time.
How much of the time do you trust the government in Washington?
Our interactive graph charts trust in government since Eisenhower’s presidency. Hover over the different circles to see notable events in history that may have influenced levels of trust and distrust.
Video: Pew Research Center president Alan Murray discusses last night’s State of the Union with The Wall Street Journal.
Chuck Hagel’s confirmation hearing is currently underway. Senators may know him, but our recent poll shows 65% of the public doesn’t.
How red or blue are you? Take our political typology quiz to find out if you’re a staunch conservative, a solid liberal, or somewhere in between. You can also read our signature report “Beyond Red vs. Blue” here: http://pewrsr.ch/SZu9Pt
