Poll: 80 Percent Dissatisfied With Washington
WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) – Between sequestration cuts, complete Congressional gridlock, and other problems, Americans are thoroughly sick of how things are going in the nation's capital.
According to a new CBS News poll, 80 percent of Americans are either dissatisfied or angry about how things in Washington are going. The economy, the deficit, sequestration, budget cuts, and guns were among the issues Americans were had problems with Washington either not addressing or addressing in the wrong way.
On the budget deficit, fewer than half of those polled (42 percent) believed cutting the deficit will improve the economy. Nearly as many, 39 percent, said they are not sure and another nine percent said there would be no effect.
Cementing the support for President Barack Obama's plan, 58 percent said there should be a balanced approach to deficit reduction through tax increases and spending cuts. Republicans have said any plan that raises taxes at all will never pass through the GOP-controlled House, despite public opinion.
Much like in all polls, while Americans generally favor cutting government spending, once a pollster drills down to specific areas to cut, the support wanes. Fifty-eight percent in the CBS News poll said not to cut defense spending, while 80 percent opposed cutting Social Security and Medicare.
When it comes to spending, the deficit, and the overall economy, Americans favored President Obama and the Democrats by a 42 percent to 35 percent margin, while 15 percent trusted neither political party.
Finally, when it comes to gun control, the CBS News poll found that the stalled gridlock of Washington has eroded support for gun control laws. Immediately after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, support stood at 57 percent for stricter laws, but has since fallen to 47 percent.
Still, universal background checks for all gun purchases received very strong bi-partisan support with 90 percent in favor of the measure. Eighty-six percent of Republicans and 86 percent of gun owners supported the proposal.
