WASHINGTON — If there is an overarching theme of election 2010, it is the question of how big the government should be and how far it should reach into people’s lives.
Americans have a more negative view of government today than they did a decade ago, or even a few years ago. Most say it focuses on the wrong things and lack confidence that it can solve big domestic problems; this general anti-Washington sentiment is helping to fuel a potential Republican takeover of Congress next month.
But ask people what they expect the government to do for themselves and their families, and a more complicated picture emerges. A new study by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University shows that most Americans who say they want more limited government also call Social Security and Medicare “very important.” They want Washington to be involved in schools and to help reduce poverty. Nearly half want the government to maintain a role in regulating health care.
The study suggests that come January, politicians in both parties will confront a challenging and sometimes contradictory reality about what Americans think of government.
Most of those who see the country as headed off-course put “a great deal” of blame on the government. Overall, 55 percent of Americans say the government isn’t paying attention to the biggest issues. Similar percentages say the government does not use tax money wisely, is out of sync with their values and hasn’t helped their families.
Nearly half of the 2,054 adults polled say the federal government threatens their personal liberties. There is a creeping sense — now shared by one in five Americans — that it is not possible for the federal government to be run well, given all the problems in the country.
Yet even as Americans generally hold Washington in low regard, they still like much of the work it does. Support for government action on such issues as national defense, health care and fighting poverty remains high, in some cases just where it was a decade ago.
Nearly six in 10 say they want their representatives to fight for additional government spending in their districts to spur job creation; fewer (39 percent) want their member of Congress to cut spending, even if that means not as many local jobs.
Americans see major areas of government spending as essential. Whether it’s Medicare, Social Security, national defense, food stamps, education, unemployment benefits or environmental protection, about nine in 10 call these programs at least somewhat important.
The Sept. 22-Oct. 3 phone poll has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
