Congress and the White House are fast reaching a deal on a bailout plan for the Big Three that many suggest is just a step short of nationalizing the U.S. auto industry since it gives the federal government a say in how the automakers spend their money and what kind of cars they build.

But only 14% of U.S. voters think the Big Three automakers will run better if they are run by the federal government, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Two-thirds of voters (67%) say the companies will not run better. Nineteen percent (19%) aren’t sure.

Just eight percent (8%) of investors believe the federal government will run the companies better, compared to 21% of non-investors. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of investors and 55% of non-investors say the companies will not be run better.

The Rasmussen Investor Index, which measures investor confidence on a daily basis, regained some ground on Tuesday but is still barely above its lowest levels ever recorded.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of men do not think the government will run the auto companies better versus 63% of women.

While 77% of Republicans and 72% of unaffiliated voters do not believe the government will do a better job with the auto companies, only 56% of Democrats agree. Twenty-one percent (21%) of Democratic voters think the government will run the companies better, a view shared by just nine percent (9%) of both GOP and unaffiliated voters.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters oppose taxpayer-funded loans to help keep General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in business.

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When voters are asked if the federal government should go even further and buy the financially troubled automakers, 66% say no, 16% say yes, and 17% are undecided.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans and 71% of unaffiliateds are against the government buying the Big Three, compared to 57% of Democrats. Twenty-two percent (22%) of Democrats think it’s a good idea, although just 12% of Republicans and 13% of unaffiliated voters agree.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of investors oppose a government buyout of the automakers versus 59% of non-investors. Men under age 40 and women above that age are the least critical of a government takeover of the auto companies.

While 70% of whites are opposed to the government buying the Big Three, only 48% of African-Americans agree. Thirty-three percent (33%) of blacks support such an idea, but only 13% of whites agree.

In a survey in mid-September, only 26% of adults were at least somewhat confident that U.S. policymakers know what they are doing when it comes to addressing the nation’s current economic problems.

The short-term loan plan being worked out in Washington calls for the creation of a federal “car czar” who will develop benchmarks by which to measure the automakers’ restructuring and who will have the power to push management, unions, shareholders and others to implement changes

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A longer term bailout plan proposed by President-elect Obama goes even further. “It could mean that the government would mandate, or at least heavily influence, what kind of cars companies make, what mileage and environmental standards they must meet and what large investments they are permitted to make,” according to a report in the New York Times.

While voters display little confidence in government control of the automakers, 59% say senior managers of a company should be replaced if taxpayer funding is provided to keep the company afloat.

Seventeen percent (17%) say senior managers do not need to be replaced, but nearly one-quarter of voters (24%) are not sure.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of Republicans, 66% of Democrats and 60% of unaffiliated voters say the senior managers should be replaced in the event of a government bailout. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of investors and 63% of non-investors agree.

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