Poll Watch: Fox News Survey on the Debt Ceiling

Fox News Survey on the Debt Ceiling

If a candidate you like votes to increase taxes, will you still support that candidate in the future or not? Is that definitely or just probably?

• Definitely yes 24%
• Probably yes 21%
• Probably not 15%
• Definitely not 23%

Do you think raising taxes in an economic downturn is a good idea or a bad idea?

• Good idea 27%
• Bad idea 63%

Among Democrats

• Good idea 43%
• Bad idea 47%

Among Republicans

• Good idea 8%
• Bad idea 84%

Among Independents

• Good idea 27%
• Bad idea 59%

Do you think getting rid of tax deductions is the same as increasing taxes?

• Yes it is 42%
• No it isn’t 47%

If you were in Congress and had to cast an up-or-down vote on raising the nation’s debt limit --would you vote in favor of raising the debt limit or against it?

• In favor 35%
• Against 60%

Who do you agree with more on the national debt limit negotiations?

• Those who say the limit should be raised if there are spending cuts but NO tax increases 17%
• Those who say the limit should be raised if there is a mix of BOTH spending cuts AND tax increases 35%
• Those who say the limit should not be raised at all 42%

Among Democrats

• Those who say the limit should be raised if there are spending cuts but NO tax increases 13%
• Those who say the limit should be raised if there is a mix of BOTH spending cuts AND tax increases 47%
• Those who say the limit should not be raised at all 32%

Among Republicans

• Those who say the limit should be raised if there are spending cuts but NO tax increases 22%
• Those who say the limit should be raised if there is a mix of BOTH spending cuts AND tax increases 20%
• Those who say the limit should not be raised at all 53%

Among Independents

• Those who say the limit should be raised if there are spending cuts but NO tax increases 16%
• Those who say the limit should be raised if there is a mix of BOTH spending cuts AND tax increases 35%
• Those who say the limit should not be raised at all 41%

Do you think the actions of President Obama and Congressional Democrats in the debt negotiations are better described as pushing for policies they think will help everyday Americans or as using the economic crisis for political gain?

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 44%
• Using crisis for political gain 49%

Among Democrats

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 69%
• Using crisis for political gain 23%

Among Republicans

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 17%
• Using crisis for political gain 76%

Among Independents

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 41%
• Using crisis for political gain 54%

Do you think the actions of Congressional Republicans in the debt negotiations are better described as pushing for policies they think will help everyday Americans or as using the economic crisis for political gain?

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 29%
• Using crisis for political gain 63%

Among Democrats

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 12%
• Using crisis for political gain 81%

Among Republicans

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 52%
• Using crisis for political gain 38%

Among Independents

• Pushing for policies to help Americans 23%
• Using crisis for political gain 70%

What do you think is more likely to happen -- leaders in Washington will work out a deal on the national debt limit soon, or they will remain deadlocked and the government will stop paying
some of its bills?

• They will work out a deal 62%
• They will remain deadlocked 31%

What do you think would be worse for the country -- if leaders in Washington: Raise the debt limit and borrow more money to pay the nation’s bills OR Fail to raise the debt limit and don’t pay some of the nation’s bills?

• Fail to raise the debt limit and don’t pay some of the nation’s bills 50%
• Raise the debt limit and borrow more money to pay the nation’s bills 40%

Among Democrats

• Fail to raise the debt limit and don’t pay some of the nation’s bills 56%
• Raise the debt limit and borrow more money to pay the nation’s bills 35%

Among Republicans

• Raise the debt limit and borrow more money to pay the nation’s bills 46%
• Fail to raise the debt limit and don’t pay some of the nation’s bills 42%

Among Independents

• Fail to raise the debt limit and don’t pay some of the nation’s bills 49%
• Raise the debt limit and borrow more money to pay the nation’s bills 42%

If leaders in Washington fail to reach an agreement on the debt limit and the country does go into default, who do you think will be more to blame -- President Obama or Congressional Republicans?

• Congressional Republicans 47%
• President Obama 32%

Among Democrats

• Congressional Republicans 75%
• President Obama 11%

Among Republicans

• President Obama 60%
• Congressional Republicans 16%

Among Independents

• Congressional Republicans 46%
• President Obama 27%

If leaders in Washington fail to reach an agreement on the debt limit, do you think the government really will stop sending out Social Security checks, or is that just a scare tactic that won’t really happen?

• Government checks will stop 28%
• Just a scare tactic 63%

Many economists and government officials say that if Congress does not raise the national debt limit, the government will go into default and there will be a financial catastrophe. What about you -- do you think failing to raise the debt limit would result in a financial catastrophe for the country, or is that an exaggeration?

• Yes, it would be a catastrophe 39%
• No, that's an exaggeration 55%

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell recently said that as long as Barack Obama is president a real solution on the national debt is unattainable -- do you agree with him, or not?

• Agree, there can’t be a solution with Obama in office 35%
• Disagree, they can find a solution with Obama in office 61%

Among Democrats

• Agree, there can’t be a solution with Obama in office 12%
• Disagree, they can find a solution with Obama in office 86%

Among Republicans

• Agree, there can’t be a solution with Obama in office 63%
• Disagree, they can find a solution with Obama in office 30%

Among Independents

• Agree, there can’t be a solution with Obama in office 33%
• Disagree, they can find a solution with Obama in office 65%

Survey of 904 registered voters was conducted by Anderson Robbins Research (D)/Shaw & Company Research (R) July 17-19, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: 44% Democrat; 38% Republican; 18% Independent.

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