In this post, I speculated that many (most) Americans were skeptical of the stimulus package. In the comments, Minus Ten cites a WSJ article and poll. The headline:
It's always good to check out the wording of the questions used to draw such a strong conclusion. So I went to the actual poll results. At first glance, it appears pretty open and shut. Here is question 29:
Statement A: The economic stimulus plan is a good idea because it will help make the recession shorter, get people back to work, and provide money for transportation, education, and Medicaid programs.
Statement B: The economic stimulus plan is a bad idea because it will do little to shorten the recession, the jobs are temporary, and it will significantly increase the deficit.
Statement A/Economic stimulus is a good idea………………… 57
Statement B/Economic stimulus plan is a bad idea…………… 36
Not sure……………………………………………………………………….. 7
You can quibble with the wording. But it's not bad. And 57 to 36 does look like pretty broad support.Of course there is also question 27:
That the federal government will spend too MUCH money to try to boost the economy and as a result will drive up the budget deficit, OR
That the federal government will spend too LITTLE money to try to boost the economy and as a result the recession will be longer?
That the federal government will spend too MUCH money….. 60
That the federal government will spend too LITTLE money…. 33
Not sure…………………………………………………………………………. 7
Again, I would have worded it a little differently. But again, it's close enough. So what does it tell you about support for the stimulus package? Maybe the headline should have been:
Americans Confused About Fiscal Policy, Deficit
Or maybe:
Americans Hope for Free Lunch–Support Stimulus Package When They Don't Think Too Much About the Cost
