Americans’ priorities for fixing the economy
Jeff Horwich: Our politicians can’t seem to work it out; how do ordinary Americans think we should fix the economy? Time for an Attitude Check: It’s our weekly partnership with Gallup and editor-in-chief Frank Newport. Good morning Frank.
Frank Newport: Hi, good morning.
Horwich: Without giving them a list of options you asked Americans, just random folks, to name the top thing that could be done to improve the U.S. economy. Give me the top three.
Newport: All right, I’ll do that. Number one, and by far number was “create more and better jobs,” twenty eight percent of Americans volunteered spontaneously something related to that. Number two, decrease taxes or improve tax breaks for Americans. Number three relates to number one, less outsourcing of jobs – bring more jobs back home.
Horwich: Interesting. So controlling the deficit, for example, is not in there.
Newport: Controlling the deficit was down at number five. Balance the national budget and control spending, not the deficit per say, but try to pull back on spending was in there but certainly not in the top three.
Horwich: Interesting that create jobs is number one by far. A big Republican line in this election — I’m sure you heard it — has been: Governments don’t create jobs, the private sector creates jobs. Could this explain why that line is not working so well?
Newport: Well, it’s an interesting question because when Americans told us more “jobs” they didn’t really get into the specifics. We didn’t probe them; All right, give us a full plan on exactly whether it’s the government or the private sector that will create jobs — all we know is that they want jobs in general. But very few people, on a relative basis, mentioned for example the government should actually create jobs should by spending more money. So it looks like it’s kind of a combination of things when Americans talk about creating new jobs.
Horwich: All right, Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of Gallup. Thank you very much.
Newport: My pleasure.
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