Poll Watch: CNN/ORC Debt Ceiling Survey

CNN/ORC Debt Ceiling Survey

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?

• Approve 45%
• Disapprove 52%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?

• Approve 14%
• Disapprove 84%

As you may know, an agreement between Barack Obama and the Republicans and Democrats in Congress would raise the federal government's debt ceiling through the year 2013 and make major cuts in government spending over the next few years. Based on what you have read or heard, do you approve or disapprove of that agreement?

• Approve 44%
• Disapprove 52%

As you may know, the agreement would raise the debt ceiling through the year 2013. Regardless of how you feel about the overall agreement, do you approve or disapprove of raising the debt ceiling at this time?

• Approve 48%
• Disapprove 51%

As you may know, the agreement would cut about one trillion dollars in government spending over the next ten years with provisions to make additional spending cuts in the future. Regardless of how you feel about the overall agreement, do you approve or disapprove of the cuts in government spending included in the debt ceiling agreement? (IF DISAPPROVE) Do you disapprove because you think those cuts in government spending go too far, or do you disapprove because you think those spending cuts don't go far enough?

• Approve 65%
• Disapprove, cuts gone too far 15%
• Disapprove, don’t go far enough 13%
• Disapprove, mixed/both (vol.) 1%

And as you may know, the agreement does not include any tax increases for business or higher income Americans. Regardless of how you feel about the overall agreement, do you approve or
disapprove of the fact that the debt ceiling agreement does not include tax increases for those
groups?

• Approve 40%
• Disapprove 60%

Overall, do you think the debt ceiling agreement would be good for the U.S. economy or bad for the U.S. economy?

• Good for economy 49%
• Bad for economy 42%

Do you think that a failure to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday would create a crisis for the United States, major problems, minor problems, or no problems at all?

• Crisis 14%
• Major problems 38%
• Minor problems 31%
• No problems at all 15%

Who do you think is more responsible for the debt ceiling agreement? Do you think Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress are more responsible for that agreement, or do you think the Republicans in Congress are more responsible for that agreement?

• Republicans in Congress 43%
• Obama/Democrats in Congress 34%
• Both equally (vol.) 18%

Next, please tell me whether you approve or disapprove of the way each of the following has handled the negotiations over the debt ceiling in Washington over the past few days.

Barack Obama

• Approve 46%
• Disapprove 53%

The Republican leaders in Congress

• Approve 30%
• Disapprove 68%

The Democratic leaders in Congress

• Approve 35%
• Disapprove 63%

As you know, both the Republicans and the Democrats compromised with the other party by giving up some proposals on issues which were important to them. In your view, did the Republicans in Congress give up too much in the debt ceiling agreement, or don't you think so?

• Yes, gave up too much 21%
• No, did not give up too much 70%

In your view, did Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress give up too much in the debt ceiling agreement, or don't you think so?

• Yes, gave up too much 31%
• No, did not give up too much 61%

In general, do you think the elected officials in Washington who have dealt with the debt ceiling in the past few days have behaved mostly like responsible adults or mostly like spoiled children?

• Responsible adults 17%
• Spoiled children 77%

Survey of 860 adults was conducted August 1, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage points.