Most Voters Say Improving Infrastructure is Important for U.S. Economy, Future Generations

To most voters, improving the country’s infrastructure is crucial for the future of the economy and the quality of life.

A new ARTBA/Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 96% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s at least Somewhat Important to future U.S. economic growth to improve the infrastructure – like roads, bridges, transit, water systems and the power grid. That includes 62% who think it’s Very Important. Just three percent believe the nation’s infrastructure is Not Very or Not at all Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

When it comes to the quality of life of the country’s children and grandchildren, 96% think it’s important to improve the infrastructure, with 64% who say it’s Very Important. Four percent (4%) don’t view improving the infrastructure as important.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) think the Democratic leadership in Congress and President Trump should work together in 2019 to pass legislation that would improve the country’s infrastructure. Nine percent (9%) disagree.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 23-24, 2019 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Trump’s plan to fix the nation’s ailing infrastructure calls for generating $1.5 trillion in upgrades through ventures involving the federal government, state government and private industry. Most voters support the proposal, and among those voters, most like the idea of finding outside sources to help fund it.

Democrats, by a 71% to 61% margin, are more likely to see infrastructure as Very Important to future generations. Democrats are also more inclined to believe infrastructure is Very Important to the future of economic growth.

The older the voter, the more like he or she is to say infrastructure is Very Important.

Men are slightly more likely to see the importance of infrastructure to economic growth compared to women.

In the wake of an Amtrak crash in Washington state in December, just 33% of all Americans rated the safety of roads, bridges, dams, tunnels and the like in the area where they live as good or excellent. But just 35% were willing to pay anything extra in taxes each year to upgrade and improve America’s infrastructure.

Just over half of Americans (52%) believe the maintaining and repair of America’s infrastructure is primarily a state’s responsibility. Thirty-one percent (31%) see it more as the federal government’s responsibility.

Adults have expressed concerns about infrastructure in surveys dating back to 2009.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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