Eighty percent (80%) of U.S. voters want the government to sell its stake in General Motors and Chrysler as soon as possible.

A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 11% disagree and want the government to retain ownership for a long time.

Support for ending the government ownership is so strong that 64% favor a proposal that would force the government to sell the auto companies within a year. Only 26% are opposed.

Voters feel nearly as strongly about the ownership interest the government has taken in several bailed-out U.S. banks. Seventy-one percent (71%) say the government should sell that ownership to private investors as soon as possible.

Nineteen percent (19%) think the government should retain ownership of the banks for a long time.

Voters’ feelings are more mixed when asked if the government should gives its stock in the auto companies and banks directly to the American people rather than selling it to private investors. Forty-two percent (42%) think it’s a good idea to give the stock directly to all Americans, but 35% disagree. Twenty-three percent (23%) are not sure what’s best.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter.

A majority of Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters all support the proposal to force the sale within a year. Seventy-two percent (72%) of those with populist or Mainstream views support that proposal but a majority of the Political Class (53%) are opposed.

On the issue of giving the stock directly to the American people, however, there is a partisan gap. Nearly half of Democrats (45%) and unaffiliated voters (48%) favor such a move, but the plurality of Republicans (46%) is opposed.

Voters have consistently opposed government efforts to bailout the failing automakers ever since they were first proposed late last year.

Just 21% of voters agreed with the Obama administration’s decision to bailout GM as part of a structured bankruptcy that gave the government majority ownership of the company.

Only 19% say the federal government will do a better job than private investors running a business. Fifty percent (50%) say the government will do a worse job, while 22% say both will perform about the same.

Forty-one percent (41%) of Americans expect the quality of GM cars to get worse now that the government is the automaker’s majority owner. Just 19% believe the quality of GM cars will improve.

Perhaps most telling is that only 42% of those who currently own a GM car are even somewhat likely to buy a GM product for their next car.

The majority of Americans (58%) don’t think it’s likely either that GM will ever repay the government the $50 billion it’s been given as part of the bankruptcy deal to stay in business.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.