Poll: Most Americans think debt deal should include spending cuts and tax increases

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

Most Americans think any agreement on the budget and debt ceiling should include a combination of spending cuts and tax increases, according to a new poll from CBS News.

The survey, conducted from July 15-17, suggests that Americans side with President Obama on what a deal to raise the debt ceiling should include: the president has repeatedly called for tax increases for wealthy Americans, as well the elimination of tax loopholes that benefit corporate interests, to go along with spending cuts as part of a "balanced approach" to lower the government's deficit.

According to the poll, 66 percent of Americans believe that the deal to raise the debt ceiling should include both spending cuts and tax increases. Only 28 percent said they thought the deal should contain spending cuts exclusively, and a mere three percent wanted it to include tax increases only.

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Full poll (PDF)

Indeed, the desire to see an agreement that contains both elements spans the political spectrum: 55 percent of Republicans, 53 percent of Tea Party members, 71 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Independents said they support such a plan.

Republicans and Tea party supporters, however, are more likely than Democrats and Independents to support an agreement that includes spending cuts only: 39 percent of Republicans and 44 percent of Tea Party members supported that option, whereas only 20 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of Independents did.

In a press conference on Friday, Mr. Obama argued that his proposal of a "balanced approach" on a debt deal - one that includes revenue increases as well as spending cuts - is what the American people want.

My Republican friends have said that they're not willing to do revenues, and they have repeated that on several occasions," he told reporters at a news conference at the White House. "My hope, though, is that they're listening not just to lobbyists or special interests here in Washington, but they're also listening to the American people. Because it turns out, poll after poll, many done by your organizations, show that it's not just Democrats who think we need to take a balanced approach, it's Republicans as well."

When it comes to finding fault for the budget standoff, it appears that Americans place more blame on Republicans in Congress than on the president. Forty-nine percent of voters said they faulted Republicans for politicians' failure to agree on a deal, while only 29 percent said they blamed Mr. Obama. Thirteen percent said both are to blame.

Views were similar during the budget standoffs in 1995 and 1996. Then, more Americans found the Republicans in Congress to be at fault than Former President Bill Clinton.

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Mr. Obama may receive less blame from the public because he is more likely to be seen as trying to resolve the problem, the survey indicates. According to the poll, sixty percent of Americans think he is genuinely trying to find a solution to the standoff, while just 32 percent say the same for the Republicans in Congress.

And while 56 percent of Republicans said they doubted Mr. Obama's commitment to finding a solution to the debt limit stalemate, 37 percent said they were skeptical that their fellow Republicans in Congress were really seeking a solution, either.

These views reflect similarities with voters' perspectives in 1996, during the budget standoff between Clinton and congressional Republicans, when 62 percent of Americans said they thought Clinton was trying to find a solution to the problem, and only 42 percent thought the same of Republicans in Congress.

Moreover, Americans generally seem to think that Mr. Obama is looking out for American families. Fifty-one percent of Americans say the president is more concerned than Republicans about doing what is best for their families; just 32 percent expressed the reverse opinion.

Regardless, Americans want to see compromise from all parties when it comes to striking a deal on raising the debt limit. Sixty-nine percent of Americans said they wanted Mr. Obama to compromise; 85 percent said they wanted congressional Republicans to compromise, and 78 percent said the same of congressional Democrats.

And while more Americans disapprove than approve of how Mr. Obama is handling the negotiations, he still receives less criticism from the public than does either party in Congress. Forty-three percent approve of how the president is handling the talks, and 48 percent disapprove. Approval drops to 31 percent when it comes to congressional Democrats' handling of the negotiations, however, and approval dips even further - to just 21 percent - when it comes to congressional Republicans (with 58 percent disapproving of congressional Democrats and 71 percent disapproving of congressional Republicans).

Even a majority of Republicans (51 percent) disapprove of how Republicans in Congress are handling the debt negotiations. Among Democrats, those figures are significantly lower: Only 32 percent disapprove of congressional Democrats' behavior in the talks, and only 22 percent feel the same about Mr. Obama's handling of them.

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 810 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone July 15-17, 2011. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus four percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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War of words over the debt

[GunsmadeUSA]

I am not rich and I do not want thier money. The dems lie. OBUTTHEAD's Jobs Head from GE just move most of his CORP to China(lower taxes). The big companies have to much **** from the left put on them . As soon As Obama get out we will work again. The tax rate hangs over thier head and this stupid health crap that is so poorly put together most Obama Buddies are getting waviers.
The Tea Party saved us. Little goverment and the little guy can be creative.
Hint: You can tell when the left is losing they play the race card. When their clueless left says"that idea suck" and cannot tell you why or prove it with content like the Tea party(smart people).
I will bet if i spell a word wrong a left wing nut job will point it out instead of content.

[magnumdr]

Just who are these 2 out of 3 people that want tax hikes. Maybe they are 2 Republicans and 1 citizen.

[tsigili]

Let's face the truth. Taxing the rich sounds good, but it isn't how we get out of our debt problem.

We have 55% of our citizens, paying NO income taxes. That simply is not sustainable, in any way.

Further, we allow corporations to escape paying any income taxes......even when they have record profits!

These are the problems that need to be solved. Taxing the rich may sound good, but it ISN'T going to get the job done.

[willsat]

Actually, taxing the rich is the way to get out of our debt problem. That and winding down the wars. See the Clinton presidency for how taxing the rich solves the debt problem.

[magnumdr]

Every one of our people that represent the public at this time in our lives should all take pay cuts and have to pay for their insurance. These people have the best of the best while most people dont even have health care insurance. Shame on our elected people for just forgeting about how much they make until the day they die when the rest of our Country suffers on a daily basis.

[tsigili]

Tax hikes are much more predictable than job losses. People will accept tax hikes to get some stability. It is that simple.

The real problem though, is that only 45% of all American households......pay ANY income tax. What's wrong with this picture? That is the real problem.

[fleasmama]

How many households have no income or very little income to pay taxes. I say do away with all the deductions, ex. child, business loss, medical, etc.

[KLOQWEST]

With the US economy barely hanging on by a thread, this is not the time for Congress to be playing chicken. Yes we need to reduce Federal spending, yes we need to secure Social Security for the future, etc but I agree with the President that we must raise the debt ceiling adequately to maintain a AAA credit rating or else we all go down on the Titanic. It's a no-brainer!!!

[sadexrep]

I don't understand your comment. Why would liberals or Democrats want to 'doublethink' this poll away? I would think they'd be toasting each other with champagne and want to have the poll results broadcast on every TV channel.

[tsigili]

Unfortunately, they don't see the real problem......they just hear the Dems "slogan", of "tax the rich".

The REAL problem, is that only 45% of American households paid ANY income tax. That means 55% of American households are getting a free ride on the backs of the other 45%. That is unacceptable, and unsustainable.

The tax laws must be changed to make 90% of all households pay SOME income tax. I don't care if it is $50., everyone should be paying SOMETHING to support this country! I will allow for no more than 10%, to genuinely be so poor, they cannot pay even $50. That's all.

Additionally, we have to stop giving tax benefits to households for having children, which is growing our population exponentially, and destroying our planet, and parents are getting too much of a free ride, and not paying for their own kids!

Eliminate the child care credit, which comes right off the top. Eliminate child tax credits for more than one child. These 2 things alone, will raise huge amounts of tax revenue, and make parents pay the true cost of having children.

Until this gets changed and fixed, and until no US Corporation is allowed to escape paying income tax, like GE did (and untold other corporations), then there is NO benefit to taxing the rich, because that simply isn't enough people to make a difference. The rich only amount to 2% of the population.

It is time that the public got educated about how our country operates, and the facts surrounding how it operates. We need to consider a mandatory government class for all citizens, that requires them to have training in reality. Otherwise, the voters are just babbling idiots, anyway.

[sadexrep]

Where did you get your 55/45% figures? I'm a finance professional with over 40 years' business experience, and I follow business news every day in newspapers and television. Why have I never seen figures like these? I think the answer is because someone made them up from whole cloth. This is specious data, repeated by a lot of peole who aren't very educated, experienced, or well read.

Also, your comment that the rich are only 2% of the poulation has no meaning. The question is what is the net worth of that 2%? and what percentage of the total taxable income for the country do they represent? I think if you look at that data, you will arrive at a very different conclusion. There is an enormous disparity in wealth in this country, where something like 10% of the population owns 90% of the country's assets. I guess math is not your strong suit. You should be talking about dollars, not percentages. America has to pay its obligations in dollars, not percentages.

[tsigili]

That's pointless, if all Obama is going to do, is continue his runaway spending. I can only support that, IF, the revenue is clearly and irrevocably earmarked for debt reduction, only.

[bsvitamins1]

71% are smart A balanced budget should have both ways of fixing the problem but the GOP don't look at it that way.