6 facts about Americans’ views of government spending and the deficit
Americans are split on the size and role of the government, though reducing the budget deficit is a higher priority than it was last year.
Ted Van Green
Research Analyst
Ted Van Green is a research analyst at Pew Research Center, where he focuses on public opinion about U.S. politics and policy. He has contributed to reports on political attitudes and partisanship, and has authored analyses examining views of COVID-19 economic relief, partisanship and COVID-19 and confidence in tech companies. Prior to joining the Center, Van Green received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University, with majors in political science and sports industry.
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Nearly a Year After Roe’s Demise, Americans’ Views of Abortion Access Increasingly Vary by Where They Live
In states where abortion is prohibited, the share of people who say access to abortion should be easier has increased since August 2019. A majority of residents in those states say it would be difficult to get an abortion in the area where they live today, up 21 points from four years ago.
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In Divided Washington, Americans Have Highly Negative Views of Both Parties’ Leaders
Americans express highly negative views of President Joe Biden, congressional leadership in both parties and Congress more broadly. Views of the economy remain overwhelmingly negative, and there has been a sharp rise in the share who say the country cannot solve many of its important problems.
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Economy Remains the Public’s Top Policy Priority; COVID-19 Concerns Decline Again
Americans now see reducing the budget deficit as a higher priority for the president and Congress to address than in recent years. But strengthening the economy continues to be the public’s top policy priority.
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Republicans Leery of Compromise With Biden; Majority Want GOP To Focus on Investigations
While 64% of Republicans say GOP congressional leaders should “stand up” to Biden on matters important to their party’s voters, Democrats are more likely to say they would support efforts by leaders to find common ground.
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Public Has Modest Expectations for Washington’s Return to Divided Government
Most U.S. adults say President Joe Biden (65%) and Republican leaders in Congress (61%) will be unsuccessful getting their agendas enacted in the next two years; only about a third say the president and GOP leaders will be successful. Republicans are less confident than Democrats in midterm vote counts – but more confident than they were after the 2020 election.
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Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use
With more states authorizing the use of marijuana, the public continues to favor legalizing it for medical and recreational purposes.
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Key facts about U.S. voter priorities ahead of the 2022 midterm elections
As Election Day approaches, here’s a look at voters’ issue priorities, based mainly on a Pew Research Center survey conducted Oct. 10-16.
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Two Years After Election Turmoil, GOP Voters Remain Skeptical on Elections, Vote Counts
There has been a sharp decline in the share of Republican voters who are “very confident” that votes cast at polling places will be counted accurately.
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Midterm Voting Intentions Are Divided, Economic Gloom Persists
The economy is clearly the top issue for voters; fully 79% say it will be very important to their voting decisions – the highest share among 18 issues included on the survey. The public continues to take a dim view of current economic conditions. Just 17% of U.S. adults say the economy is in excellent or good shape, little changed from the 13% who said this in July.
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