Eighty-three percent (83%) of Americans say the size of the federal budget deficit is due more to the unwillingness of politicians to cut government spending than to the reluctance of taxpayers to pay more in taxes.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just nine percent (9%) of adults put more blame on the unwillingness of taxpayers to pay more in taxes.

Ninety-four percent (94%) of Republicans and 91% of voters not affiliated with either major party place the blame on politicians, and two-thirds (66%) of Democrats agree.

Just 11% of all voters now think the government spends taxpayers’ money wisely and well. Seventy-eight percent (78%) do not believe that to be true.

Again, 90% or more of GOP voters and unaffiliateds don’t think the government handles taxpayers’ money well, compared to 54% of Democrats.

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Last February, President Obama pledged a tough, unprecedented oversight effort” to make sure the public’s money was not wasted in any of the administration’s multi-billion dollar reform and economic plans. At that time, 46% of Americans were at least somewhat confident that their money would be wisely and carefully spent, while 50% lacked that confidence.

But by June, 76% said it was at least somewhat likely that a large amount of money in the $787-billion economic stimulus plan would be wasted due to inadequate government oversight.

The president on Monday released a proposed $3.8 trillion budget for the coming fiscal year, which includes a largest-ever $1.56-trillion deficit. In its reporting on the budget, the New York Times projects that the United States will be forced to run unprecedented large deficits for at least the next 10 years.

Eighty-six percent (86%) of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about the size of the federal budget deficit, including 65% who are very concerned. Only 12% are not very or not at all concerned about the size of the deficit.

Yet, by a 49% to 39% margin, voters believe it is more important to cut federal spending than to reduce the deficit. Fifty-three percent (53%) say cutting government spending is good for the economy, and 61% say the same of cutting taxes.

Eighty-one percent (81%) of voters also think the unwillingness of politicians’ to cut government spending is a bigger problem than taxpayers’ unwillingness to pay more in taxes.

Forty-six percent (46%) of voters nationwide, in fact, favor an across-the-board tax cut for all Americans, but 35% are opposed.

A modest plurality of voters (41%) also prefer a budget deficit with tax cuts over a balanced budget that requires higher taxes. Nearly as many (36%) would rather see a balanced budget with higher taxes.

Only 35% realize that the majority of federal spending goes to just defense, Social Security and Medicare. Still, while most voters favor the president’s proposed freeze on that portion of federal spending that is discretionary, only nine percent (9%) think it will have much impact on the deficit.

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