Just 16% of U.S. voters believe that tax increases help the economy. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds most voters (54%) say tax increases hurt the economy, a number that has been fairly consistent for more than a decade. Fourteen percent (14%) say tax increases have no impact, and 16% are not sure.

The survey was taken late last week, prior to Sunday TV appearances by top White House officials who, for the first time, refused to rule out middle class tax increases as a way to pay for the health care reform plan now working its way through Congress.

Even before the comments on Sunday, 41% of voters expected their own personal taxes to go up under the Obama administration

During the campaign season, then-candidate Obama heavily publicized his commitment to cut taxes for 95% of Americans. Today, just 11% expect their taxes will go down during President Obama’s time in office. Thirty-four percent (34%) think they will stay the same and 14% aren’t sure.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of the nation’s entrepreneurs expect their taxes to go up.

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While 41% currently expect their own taxes to go up, 78% say that if health care reform passes, middle class taxes are likely to go up.

Just 28% say they are willing to pay higher taxes so that all Americans can have health insurance.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) say government spending will go up under the Obama administration, down slightly from two weeks ago but up five points from late January. Seven percent (7%) say taxes will go down, and 18% say they will stay the same.

While expecting an increase in government spending, 46% think the cuts in government spending help the economy. Only 26% say cutting government spending hurts the economy while 14% say they have no impact and 15% are not sure.

Most voters (54%) continue to believe that tax cuts help the economy. In fact, 51% favor an across the board tax cut to help stimulate the economy. Just 19% say tax cuts hurt the economy, while 16% say they have no impact.

Only 30% say increases in government spending help the economy, while 50% say it hurts. This helps explain why the President’s spending initiatives have begun to encounter resistance from voters.

Just 25% of voters say the $787-billion economic stimulus plan proposed by Obama and passed by Congress in February has helped the economy.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) now say they would vote for a candidate who raised taxes only on the rich, while 45% prefer a candidate who promised to oppose all tax increases. These findings have been largely the same for months.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of Republicans and 59% of voters not affiliated with either major party view tax hikes as bad for the economy. Democrats are much more closely divided: 25% say tax increases are good for the economy, while 36% say they’re bad.

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