Just 26% of American adults have even a little bit of confidence that the nation’s policy makers know what they’re doing when it comes to the current problems on Wall Street.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of adults are not confident that lawmakers know what they’re doing (see crosstabs).

Unaffiliated voters are less confident than Republicans and Democrats, with just 21% who say they are confident that policy makers know what to do. Just 26% of Democrats and 31% of Republicans agree.

One of the reasons for opposition to the bailout plan is that Americans believe the plan is designed to benefit those who need it the least. Sixty-nine percent (69%) say the plan will either benefit big business (46%) or large investors (23%). Just 8% say small investors and 6% believe individuals with no investments will be the winners.

That helps explain why a separate survey released today found that voters are divided as to whether Congress should enact a bailout plan or if Wall Street should be left to clean up its own mess. The Rasmussen Consumer Index today found a huge gap between Wall Street and Main Street--after the stock market plunged 800 points and the economic rescue plan was rejected by Congress on Monday, consumer confidence actually increased.

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Just over half of adults (52%) say the current issues on Wall Street will change the way they handle their personal finances. Not surprisingly, investors are more likely than non-investors to make changes. Thirty percent (30%) of adults say the current problems will not cause them to change the way they handle their finances.

In terms of the next president, voters are divided as to which candidate has better answers to the economic problem. While 41% say John McCain has the better answers, 44% say that of Barack Obama. Men are evenly divided between the candidates on this question, while women favor Obama.

Recent data currently shows that overall, voters trust Obama more than McCain on economic issues.

Though the current financial issues are an important factor for 46% in terms of the upcoming election, just 9% say it will be the single deciding factor in the voting booth. Over a third (36%) says it will be just one of many deciding factors, while only 3% say they consider it a minor factor.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.