Earlier this week, Gallup released new data showing that most Americans still view big government as a more serious threat to the nation than big business or big labor. The results weren’t terribly surprising since Gallup has asked the question periodically since 1965 and government has always been seen as the biggest threat.

While those results are interesting, it’s worth noting that 70% of U.S. voters believe that big business and big government generally work together against the interests of investors and consumers, according to Rasmussen Reports surveying. Just 14% disagree with the assessment, and 17% are not sure.

These attitudes, likely fueled by the revolving doors between corporate suites and political power, are found widely across demographic and partisan lines. Seventy-one percent (71%) of Democrats believe big government and big business are on the same team. So do 69% of Republicans and 69% of those not affiliated with either major party. There are no significant differences to be found by gender, age, race or ideology.

The Gallup Poll found that most Democrats view big business as a bigger threat than big government. Republicans and independents held the opposite view.

The question about big government and big business being on the same team is one of three questions used by Rasmussen Reports to define the difference between the Political Class and those with Mainstream Views. The other two questions are:

-- Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?

-- Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?

Solid majorities of American adults trust the public wisdom more than political leaders and believe that the federal government has become a special interest group. Combining all three questions, most Americans (55%) can be classified as having populist or Mainstream Views. Seven percent (7%) share Political Class views. When leaners are included, 75% are classified in the Mainstream and 14% support the Political Class.

Recent surveys have shown significant differences between the Mainstream and Political Class views on issues ranging from the "Tea Party" protests and government bailouts to perceptions of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Most Americans believe that tax hikes are bad for the economy, but only 19% of those in the Political Class share that view.
On many issues, the gap between Mainstream Americans and the Political Class is bigger than the gap between Mainstream Republicans and Mainstream Democrats.

To create a scale and calculate whether someone belongs to the Mainstream or the Political Class, each response to one of the three questions earns a plus 1 for the more populist answer, a minus 1 for the political class answer, and a 0 for not sure.

Those who score 2 or higher are considered part of the Mainstream. Those who score -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered leaners in one direction or the other.

In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.