Forty-six percent (46%) of Americans say the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board already has too much power over the economy, even as the Obama administration proposes expanding the Fed’s regulatory controls.

A new Rasmussen reports national telephone survey shows that only 11% of adults say the Fed chairman does not have enough power. Twenty-four percent (24%) say his amount of power is about right, while 19% are not sure.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Republicans and 50% of those not affiliated with either major political party say the Fed chairman has too much power, but just 33% of Democrats agree.

This marks a 13-point drop in the level of those who say the Fed chairman has the right amount of power from a survey last October as the economic crisis was gaining steam. Most of the shift has gone into the undecided category.

Thirty-two percent (32%) have a favorable opinion of current Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, including just four percent (4%) whose opinion of him is very favorable. Thirty-nine percent (39%) regard Bernanke unfavorably, including 17% with a very unfavorable opinion. Twenty-nine percent (29%) have no opinion.

Bernanke’s numbers remain largely unchanged from October.

Democrats are twice as likely to have a favorable opinion of Bernanke as unaffiliateds and Republicans, although the Fed chairman was nominated by President George W. Bush.

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Similarly unchanged from a survey in March are public perceptions of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. With Bernanke, Geithner has been leading the way on the administration’s financial efforts, many of which remain unpopular with most Americans.

Geithner is viewed favorably by 24%, with four percent (4%) very favorable. Forty-five percent (45%) have an unfavorable opinion of the Treasury secretary, including 25% whose opinion is very unfavorable. Thirty-one percent (31%) are not sure what they think of Geithner.

Forty percent (40%) of Democrats have a favorable view of Geithner, compared to 13% of Republicans and 10% of unaffiliated Americans.

Investors are slightly more critical of both Bernanke and Geithner than non-investors.

Only 20% of Americans now believe the Fed chairman is independent of the president, compared to 31% in October. Sixty percent (60%) say the head of the independent government financial agency is influenced by the president in his decision-making.

Seventy percent (70%) of investors say the Fed chairman is influenced by the president.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of adults oppose giving the Federal Reserve Board more regulatory control over the U.S. financial system. Forty-seven percent (47%) are against more government regulation of the financial system in general.

President Obama in a press conference on Tuesday said the economy remains sluggish and announced again his desire to speed up stimulus spending. But 76% of Americans say it is at least somewhat likely that a large amount of money in the $787-billion economic stimulus plan will be wasted due to inadequate government oversight.

Just 25% say the economy is getting better, and the Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes, measuring daily confidence, have fluctuated only slightly for weeks.

Most voters blame the Bush administration for the nation’s economic problems, but a growing number are now pointing a finger at the new president.

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