News & Resources

Americans doubting the US government

Aug 31, 2011 Mike Garretson

Americans doubting the US government
A recent American Pulse study surveyed 5,234 respondents about their thoughts on the debt crisis in the United States.
 In 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial was at an all time high, eclipsing 14,000 points twice. Businesses were booming, the economy was surging and the unemployment rate was below 5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But since then, the status of the economy has been in a constant state of flux. The study reports that more than 70 percent of Americans over the age of 18 don't think that the U.S. government will ever pay off its debts, with approximately 12 percent thinking it may happen. Those numbers are a sign that Americans have lost all confidence in the ability of the U.S. government to manage its spending. More than half of Americans surveyed blame the House of Representatives and Congress for the current weakened economy, while approximately 34.3 percent hold the Obama administration accountable. Fifty percent don't believe the recent debt bill will fix the national deficit. Even though Americans are paying debt collection agencies at a higher rate, according to Fox Business, there still remains an air of uncertainty in the economy.