December 11, 2001 - U.S. Voters Favor Help For Workers Over Biz Tax Cuts, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Most Are Concerned About U.S. Economy Voters nationwide prefer tax cuts and other assistance aimed at individuals, especially lower income workers and the unemployed, rather than tax cuts for businesses, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. Looking at tax questions, American voters say: 57 - 37 percent that they oppose tax cuts for corporations; 70 - 27 percent that they support income tax cuts for individuals; 79 - 18 percent that they favor tax rebates for lower income workers, with 51 percent of all voters saying they "favor strongly" this idea; 68 - 27 that they favor increased assistance to the unemployed; 52 - 41 percent that help for lower income workers and the unemployed is a greater priority than tax cuts for business. "Read our lips: We want a tax cut, American voters are saying. Overall - with the Midwest a trifle less enthusiastic than the rest of the nation - we'd like to give more help to jobless people and lower income workers," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Tax cuts for corporations, even when these cuts are seen as helping to create jobs, are definitely a lower priority among voters." Ten percent of American voters say their personal finances are "excellent," while 54 percent say their finances are "good;" 26 percent say "not so good," and 8 percent say "poor." Their personal finances will get better in the next 12 months, 44 percent say, while 5 percent say they will get worse and 49 say they will stay the same. Only 2 percent of voters say the nation's economy is "excellent," while 28 percent say it is "good;" 50 percent say it is "not so good," and 18 percent say it is "poor." But 52 percent say the U.S. economy will get better in the next 12 months, while 18 percent say it will get worse and 29 percent say it will stay the same. American voters approve 83 - 11 percent of the job President Bush is doing, and a total 68 percent are "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with the way things are going in the U.S. today, while 29 percent are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied." A total of 40 percent of voters are "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" that a family member will lose his/her job in the next year. Ten percent say they plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year than last, while 24 percent plan to spend less and 65 percent say they will spend the same. "Most of us think the family finances are good or even excellent and we're fairly confident about our personal economic outlook and even the national economic outlook," Carroll said. "But 40 percent of us are concerned that the recession will touch our families directly. "Despite this concern, more than two-thirds of us are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. and we give President Bush a huge approval rating." From November 29 - December 5, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,237 registered voters nationwide, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percent. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys as a public service and for research. For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu or call (203) 582-5201 1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 83% 97% 71% 83% 86% 80% Disapprove 11 1 20 10 10 13 DK/NA 6 1 9 7 4 7 2. In general, how satisfied are you with the way things are going in the nation today? Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very satisfied 21% 34% 12% 17% 25% 17% Smwht satisfied 47 51 43 51 48 47 Smwht dissatisfied 19 10 25 19 17 21 Very dissatisfied 10 2 18 11 8 12 DK/NA 3 3 2 2 2 3 26. President Bush promised 20 billion dollars to New York City in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11. Do you think this is too much money for New York City, too little, or about the right amount? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Too much money 10% 5% 12% 13% 11% 9% Too little money 14 10 17 13 14 13 About right amount 63 74 58 58 64 63 DK/NA 13 10 13 16 11 15 37. Would you describe the state of the nation's economy these days as: Excellent, good, not so good, or poor? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Excellent 2% 1% 2% 3% 2% 2% Good 28 36 22 26 34 24 Not so good 50 52 50 49 48 52 Poor 18 8 25 21 15 20 DK/NA 1 2 1 - 1 2 38. During the next 12 months, do you think the economic conditions in the United States will get better, get worse, or stay about the same? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Better 52% 66% 41% 48% 61% 43% Worse 18 13 24 16 12 22 About the same 29 20 34 35 25 33 DK/NA 2 1 2 1 2 1 39. Would you describe the state of your own personal finances these days as: excellent, good, not so good, or poor? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Excellent 10% 13% 4% 12% 13% 7% Good 54 59 51 53 59 49 Not so good 26 22 32 24 22 30 Poor 8 4 10 10 5 11 DK/NA 2 2 2 2 1 2 40. During the next 12 months, do you think your own personal finances will get better, get worse, or stay about the same? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Better 44% 47% 38% 46% 50% 39% Worse 5 4 5 6 4 7 About the same 49 47 56 47 45 53 DK/NA 1 2 - 1 2 1 41. Thinking about this holiday season, do you plan to spend more on gifts this year than last year, less on gifts or about the same as last year? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom More 10% 12% 8% 10% 13% 8% Less 24 18 31 22 19 29 About the same 65 70 61 67 68 63 DK/NA - - - - - - 42. How concerned are you that you or someone in your family will lose their job in the next year or so -- very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not concerned at all? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very concerned 19% 12% 24% 20% 15% 22% Smwht concerned 21 20 22 21 21 21 Not too concerned 24 25 25 24 25 23 Not concerned at all 35 40 27 35 39 31 DK/NA 1 2 1 - 1 2 43. Here are some different actions the government could take to try to stimulate the economy. As I read each one please tell me if you favor or oppose the action : Would you favor or oppose tax cuts for corporations? Would you favor/oppose that strongly or somewhat? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor strongly 14% 20% 9% 12% 20% 9% Favor somewhat 23 31 17 22 24 23 Oppose somewhat 30 30 30 32 26 32 Oppose strongly 27 13 37 30 27 27 DK/NA 6 5 8 3 4 8 44. Would you favor or oppose income tax cuts for individuals? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor strongly 45% 54% 35% 49% 49% 41% Favor somewhat 25 26 23 23 22 27 Oppose somewhat 15 11 21 15 14 17 Oppose strongly 12 7 17 11 12 12 DK/NA 3 1 4 2 3 2 45. Would you favor or oppose tax rebates for lower income workers? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor strongly 51% 43% 54% 53% 48% 53% Favor somewhat 28 33 23 29 29 26 Oppose somewhat 9 11 9 8 10 9 Oppose strongly 9 10 11 7 11 8 DK/NA 3 3 2 2 2 3 46. Would you favor or oppose increased assistance to the unemployed? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor strongly 40% 29% 51% 41% 35% 45% Favor somewhat 28 31 24 30 30 27 Oppose somewhat 16 22 14 12 17 15 Oppose strongly 11 15 9 11 14 9 DK/NA 4 3 2 6 3 5 47. Which do you think should be a higher priority for the government right now - A) Providing tax cuts for businesses to encourage investment and create jobs B) Providing increased assistance to the unemployed and tax rebates for lower income workers to stimulate consumer spending. Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom A) - tax cuts for businesses.. 41% 59% 27% 36% 46% 35% B) - assistance to unemployed & tax rebates for lower income workers............... 52 34 66 57 48 55 DK/NA ........................ 8 7 7 7 5 10
