Americans on Their Government

The ideal role of government as defined by Americans is a hot topic of discussion at the moment. With all the noise, it's difficult to find the truth about what Americans themselves think. To that end, here's a review of some recent Gallup findings on the topic.

A majority of Americans in June said the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. However, there have only been three times in the 18-year history of the question that a plurality of Americans said that "government should do more."

The size and power of the federal government ranks in the middle of the pack when Americans are asked to assess a series of threats to the future wellbeing of the United States. Americans are more concerned about federal government debt in particular.

Concern about the power and size of the federal government is higher among Tea Party supporters than among Republicans or other political groups. The same is true for concern about federal government debt.

Government involvement was a key concern voiced by Americans when assessing the healthcare reform legislation that is now law.

When asked about additional, specific proposals that would, arguably, expand the role of government -- to help create jobs or to regulate financial institutions, for example -- a majority of Americans tend to be in favor of such initiatives. They tend to oppose government spending to bail out troubled industries.

Americans in June were divided on whether it's better for the same party to control both the White House and Congress, or whether a divided government is better; 39% say it makes no difference. These views do ebb and flow based on the current circumstances of the time.

Republicans' current 10-percentage-point lead in Gallup's generic ballot for Congress suggests we may, in fact, be headed for a divided government. We re-asked that question in our latest stand-alone poll, which comes out of the field Tuesday, and will update you on whether views have shifted at all in the current climate.

All of these views are, no doubt, a part of the backdrop leading up to the elections, now just over two months away. Gallup will continue to measure and analyze Americans' views on their government from all angles and will also hold a summit in October at its Washington, D.C., headquarters on the topic.

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