50% Recognize Official Debt Ceiling Figures Understate the Problem
Voters aren’t sure about the short-term implications of the debt ceiling debate, but they recognize that the official figures understate the magnitude of the problem.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely Voters nationwide correctly believe that raising the debt ceiling will let the government fund spending levels that have already been approved by Congress. Thirty-two percent (32%) believe that it will authorize the federal government to spend more money, while 30% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
At the same time, 50% realize that the official debt ceiling of approximately $14 trillion does not include the cost of commitments the federal government has made for future retirement, Social Security and Medicare benefits. Only 17% mistakenly believe that the official figures include these commitments. One-in-three voters (33%) are not sure.
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 21-22, 2011 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.
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