Sixty percent (60%) of Americans say the federal government has too much power and too much money, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Just nine percent (9%) say the government has too little power and money. Twenty-four percent (24%) believe the government has about the right amount of both.

Not surprisingly, the Political Class sees things a lot differently. While 85% of Mainstream Americans say the government has too much power and money, just two percent (2%) of the Political Class agree. Nearly one-our-of-four members (24%) of the Political Class, in fact, believe the government has too little money and power, but 68% say it has about the right amount of each.

While slightly more than half of those working for both the government and private industry say the government is too big, 79% of entrepreneurs feel that way.

The findings follow last week’s “tea party” protests against higher government spending and the threat of higher taxes. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans have a favorable view of the tea parties, but the Political Class strongly disagrees.

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Republicans and adults not affiliated with either major political party are far more concerned about the government’s size and wealth than Democrats are. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Republicans and 62% of unaffiliateds say the federal government has too much power and money. Among Democrats, however, just 35% agree, while 44% think the size of government is about right.

Those who earn less than $40,000 per year are more wary of the size of the government than are those who earn more. Sixty-two percent (62%) of investors say the government has too much money and power, compared to 57% of non-investors.

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. When it comes to the question of whether the federal government has too much power and money, 94% of Mainstream Republicans say yes along with 72% of Mainstream Democrats.

Overall, most Americans worry now that the federal government will do too much in response to the nation’s current economic situation.
However, 59% of U.S. voters agree with former President Ronald Reagan that “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

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