With the annual ritual of filing federal income taxes just behind them, 52% of U.S. voters now believe they pay more than their fair share of taxes, up seven points from earlier this month.

But 54% of the Political Class don’t think they pay too much, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

This is hardly reassuring, however, since 55% don’t think most members of Congress pay all the taxes they owe.

Just 29% of all Americans say they don’t pay their fair share in taxes, and 19% are not sure.

Sixty percent (60%) of voters nationwide believe tax cuts help the economy, while 15% say they hurt and 14% say they have no impact.

Similarly, most Americans (58%) say tax increases hurt the economy, but 21% believe they help and 12% say they have no impact.

Again, there is a startling divide between Mainstream America and the Political Class. While 69% of Mainstream Americans say tax cuts are economically beneficial, the Political Class is evenly divided—33% say the tax cuts help while 36% say tax cuts are bad for the economy.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of Mainstream Americans say tax increases hurt the economy. Among the Political Class, only 19% share that view. In fact, 30% of the Political Class say tax hikes are actually good for the economy and 31% say they have no economic impact at all.

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Americans are almost evenly divided over which policy is more important for the government to pursue – one that helps the economy grow (48%) or one that makes everyone pay their fair share (46%).

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Most Republicans favor a policy based on economic growth. Democrats voters not affiliated with either party are more closely divided.

Forty-six percent (46%) of Americans prefer a candidate who promises to oppose all tax increases, while 42% like one who promises to raise taxes only on the rich. Seventy percent (70%) of Republicans and a plurality of unaffiliated voters (48%) support a candidate who is against all tax increases, while 61% of Democrats opt for a candidate who will tax the wealthy.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans approve of President Obama’s plan to raise taxes on those who earn more than $250,000 per year, but they are much less enthusiastic about raising taxes on those who earn more than $100,000 annually.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans believe they pay more than their fair share of taxes, as do pluralities of both Democrats (48%) and unaffiliateds (48%).

Sixty percent (60%) of Americans say the federal government already has too much power and too much money. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans have a favorable view of the “tea parties” held nationwide last week to protest higher government spending and possible higher taxes. The Political Class was strongly at odds with Mainstream America on both these findings.

The Political Class and Mainstream classifications are determined by the answers to three questions measuring general attitudes about government. Most Americans trust the judgment of the public more than political leaders, view the federal government as a special interest group, and believe that big business and big government work together against the interests of investors and consumers. Only seven percent (7%) share the opposite view and can be considered part of the Political Class.

On many issues, the gap between the Political Class and Mainstream Americans is bigger than the gap between Mainstream Republicans and Democrats.

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